Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 March 2018
338. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons that have been welcomed into the State under the refugee protection programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12352/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) was established by Government Decision on 10 September 2015 as a direct 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 IRPP is managed from within the Office for the Promotion of Migrant Integration (OPMI) and has responsibility for both the programme refugee resettlement strand and the asylum seeker relocation strand of the Programme.
Since the IRPP was established in 2015, 792 people have been welcomed to Ireland under the programme refugee resettlement strand and 888 people under the asylum seeker relocation strand. Several hundred more people will arrive in Ireland, from both strands, in the coming weeks and months.
Calais Special Project:
The Tusla Separated Children Seeking Asylum Team coordinates and leads the Calais Special Project (CSP). Unaccompanied minors (UAMs) admitted through the CSP are granted programme refugee status and form part of the IRPP. To date, 41 young people have been admitted under the CSP.
A further 6 UAMs have also arrived from Greece under the relocation strand who are in the care of Tusla.
This is a total of 47 UAMs to-date who have arrived in Ireland as part of the IRPP and who are now in the care of the Tusla Separated Children Seeking Asylum Team.
I would like to take this opportunity to place on record my appreciation of the care and professionalism of the Tusla Separated Children Seeking Asylum Team who are providing an invaluable service to unaccompanied minor children arriving under the IRPP and, more generally, through the asylum process.
