Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 February 2017
76. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of refugees who have been resettled here from refugee camps in Lebanon since September 2015; the number of refugees the Government plans to resettle here from Lebanon in total; and when she plans to reach this target. [7837/17]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that, in response to the humanitarian crisis that developed in Southern Europe as a consequence of mass migration from areas of conflict in the Middle East and Africa, the Government established the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP), and pledged to accept 4,000 persons into the State under resettlement and relocation programmes. At least 1040 of the 4000 will be admitted as programme refugees under the refugee resettlement programme.
519 programme refugees have been admitted to date from Lebanon since 4 August 2015. A further 521 persons are due to be admitted from Lebanon under the resettlement programme before the end of 2017. Six of these refugees arrived on 13 February 2017. A further 254 refugees are due to arrive from Lebanon before the end of March 2017, with the balance due to arrive in Autumn 2017.
