Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 March 2019
195. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons, including unaccompanied minors, Ireland committed to accepting under the resettlement and relocation programmes; the date that this was to be achieved by; the number of persons to date including unaccompanied minors accepted under the resettlement programme and the relocation programme in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11781/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 10 September 2015, as part of Ireland's response to the migration crisis in central and southern Europe, the Government established the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP). Under this programme, the Government committed to accepting up to 4,000 people into the State, primarily through a combination of the EU Relocation Programme and the UNHCR-led refugee Resettlement Programme, which is currently focussed on resettling refugees from Lebanon. The Government Decision to accept 4,000 people into the State did not in itself contain a time limit, but the Relocation Programme, which concluded on 31 March 2018, had a time limit of approximately two years.
In a gesture of humanitarian assistance towards the most vulnerable caught up in the migration crisis, the Government also committed to take unaccompanied minors from France who were previously resident in the migrant camp at Calais. 41 unaccompanied minors have arrived in the State from the Calais Special Project, which has now concluded.
Ireland agreed to accept a further 36 unaccompanied minors from Greece, whose arrivals will take place on a phased basis during 2019. In a show of solidarity with those EU Member States most affected by migration in the Mediterranean, Ireland accepted 58 persons from search and rescue missions in 2018, including 4 unaccompanied minors. The Minister has also agreed to accept 5 further unaccompanied minors from Malta in 2019.
To date, a total of 2,269 people have arrived in Ireland under the various strands of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme, 51 of whom are unaccompanied minors.
A further 90 programme refugees will arrive from Lebanon under the resettlement strand of the programme on 13 and 14 March 2019. The remaining 850 programme refugees are due to arrive in Ireland by 31 October 2019.
IRPP commitments and arrivals to-date:
|
- |
Commitment |
Arrived to-date |
|
EU Relocation Strand (concluded on 31 March 2018) |
1,022 |
1,022 |
|
Of which are unaccompanied minors |
6 |
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
UNHCR-led Resettlement Strand |
1,985 |
1,135 |
|
|
|
|
|
Calais Special Project |
41 |
41 |
|
Unaccompanied minors Greece |
60 |
- |
|
Total unaccompanied minors |
101 |
41 |
|
|
|
|
|
IRPP Humanitarian Admission Programme 2018/19 |
530 |
13 |
|
|
|
|
|
Mediterranean search and rescue missions |
|
|
|
Adults |
54 |
54 |
|
Unaccompanied minors |
4 |
4 |
|
Total from search and Rescue missions |
58 |
58 |
|
|
|
|
|
Mechanism as yet undecided |
304 |
- |
|
|
|
|
|
Total IRPP Commitment/Arrivals |
4,000 |
2,269 |
