Tánaiste confirms plans to accept 260 more refugees under resettlement programme

• Ireland to meet resettlement commitment of 520 refugees ahead of EU deadline
• A further 260 refugees to be admitted from Lebanon under the resettlement strand of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP)
• Progress made in Relocation of persons from Greece
• Numbers relocating to Ireland from Greece to ramp up in the coming weeks

The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald TD, today confirmed she will send a selection team to Lebanon to select an additional 260 refugees under the Refugee Resettlement Programme. The Tánaiste said ‘ I am pleased to confirm that the Refugee Resettlement Strand of the Programme has seen significant progress. Two hundred and seventy three refugees have already arrived from Lebanon and the remainder of the 520 refugees we committed to resettle in Ireland in 2016 will be here by the autumn. This is in advance of the EU deadline and clearly demonstrates Ireland’s continued proactive approach to resolving this unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Yesterday I informed the Government of my decision to send a further mission to Lebanon in the autumn to select an additional 260 refugees to be admitted in Spring 2017. The decision by the Tánaiste to increase the number of refugees to arrive in Ireland under the Resettlement Strand of the IRPP takes account of the the slower than anticipated arrival of asylum seekers from Greece and Italy as a result of administrative issues in those countries. “My decision reflects the Government's commitment to welcome vulnerable refugees fleeing war and conflict and is another positive step towards delivering on Ireland's overall commitment to accept 4000 persons. Once in Ireland, these refugees will have access to vital health and education services. Our focus will be on helping them to rebuild their lives here in Ireland.” Last week, on 27 June, the Tánaiste chaired a meeting of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme Taskforce. The Taskforce is an all of Government response to the EU migration crisis and brings together the key Departments playing a role in delivering on Ireland’s response to the crisis. The Taskforce meeting was informed that 250 of the 273 refugees displaced by the Syrian conflict admitted to Ireland have already completed their initial language training and orientation programmes. Another 23 refugees are completing their initial language training and orientation programmes in one of two Emergency Reception and Orientation. The remainder of the quota of 520 refugees are being health screened in Lebanon at present prior to transfer to Ireland. The relocation strand of the IRPP was also discussed at that meeting and it heard from the Programme Director of the IRPP who recently travelled to Greece in order to talk to key people there with a view to increasing the numbers coming from Greece and reducing the time scale for their arrival. The Tánaiste said ‘A further 28 Syrians arrived in Ireland in the last couple of weeks under relocation from Greece. I am aware that progress regarding the relocation of persons from Italy and Greece has been slower than we would have wanted but this should not be taken as any diminution of our commitment to delivering on this part of the programme. “The delay has been largely outside of our control and my officials have been working closely with their Greek and Italian counterparts on this issue. The Greek authorities have now agreed that they will double the numbers available for transfer to Ireland to 40 persons every 4 weeks with the prospect of this number increasing further later in the year. In effect this means that the relocation strand will now be fully operational’. ENDS Note for Editors Numbers Of the 4,000 people committed to under the September 2015 Government decision establishing the Irish Refugee Protection Programme, 2,622 are to be taken in under the EU relocation scheme from Italy and Greece and 780 (520 of whom will arrive in 2016 and 260 in 2017) from Lebanon under the refugee resettlement programme. A decision has yet to be taken on the mechanism under which the residual will be taken. Ireland is not at present participating in the EU Turkey 1:1 programme as it has no unused quota from the Council Conclusions of 20 July 2015 on resettlement that could be used to pledge under the first tranche of the programme. Participation in the second tranche of the EU Turkey 1:1 scheme will require the exercise of an opt in. Cross-Departmental Taskforce. A Cross Departmental Taskforce chaired by the Department of Justice and Equality, to deal with the operational and logistical aspects of the support programme has been established. The Taskforce is adopting a whole of Government approach. Its membership comprises all the main Government Departments and State agencies as well as the UNHCR and the Red Cross. Refugee Resettlement Programme The Irish refugee resettlement programme has been in operation since 2000. 1,400 vulnerable persons from 30 different countries, including Iraq and Syria, have been resettled in Ireland to date. Refugees have been resettled in 29 different communities throughout Ireland and in all four Dublin local authorities. The key elements of the programme are: · The programme is overseen at national level by an Inter Departmental Working Group chaired by the Office for the Promotion of Migrant Integration (OPMI) in the Department of Justice and Equality and at the local level by an inter-agency working group established in each receiving community and chaired by the Local Authority. · Receiving communities are selected by OPMI in consultation with the National Inter-Departmental Working Group. · OPMI arranges a selection mission to the country of refuge and interviews cases registered with UNHCR in the region. · Arrangements are made for security clearance of the cases selected and for their transfer to Ireland - the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) makes the travel arrangements on OPMI's behalf, exit visas and travel documents are arranged etc. · Pre departure health screening is also arranged through IOM and the results are passed to local GPs in Ireland. · The OPMI resettlement team meets the refugees on arrival in the airport and accompanies them to a Resettlement Reception Centre where they are accommodated for 8 to 10 weeks. · An 8-10 week language training and orientation programme is provided by the Education and Training Board in cooperation with OPMI. Speakers are invited from various organisations to provide information about their services to the refugees. Interpretation is provided to ensure a full understanding of the content on the part of the refugees. · Crèche facilities are also provided to allow the adults to attend the programme. · Education provision is also made for school age children by the Department of Education and Skills. · GP services are provided and refugees are assisted to apply for medical cards. · Refugees are taken to register with the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service where they are issued with a Registration Certificate and to the Department of Social Protection to register for a public services card and to be assessed for a social protection income. · Programme refugees have, in general, the same rights and entitlements as an Irish citizen. OPMI works in consultation with all relevant agencies at the national and local level to ensure that refugees can access services to which they are entitled and that the necessary services are put in place as quickly as possible. · Prior to the transfer of refugees to their permanent location, decisions about housing, education, health services etc will have been taken by the local inter-agency working group in consultation with OPMI. The OPMI arranges the transfer from the reception centre to the receiving community. OPMI staff also accompany refugees to their first appointments with the various public services in the local community and assist in resolving any difficulties etc. OPMI also provides interpretation for these appointments · Language training is provided in the receiving community by the Education and Training Board for a period of 12 months post arrival. · The OPMI resettlement team supports the local interagency working group for approx 18 months after the transfer of the refugees to the receiving community. Grants are made by the OPMI to the receiving community to employ a resettlement support worker for a period of up to one year. The Resettlement Support Worker organises a suite of integration initiatives during the first year post arrival, such as the establishment of homework clubs, develops links with sporting clubs, promotes participation in local men’s and women’s activities, organises intercultural events and promotes participation in the arts and in volunteering at a local level. · All resettled refugees have the contact details of their key OPMI resettlement officer should any issues arise that cannot be resolved locally. Progress to date 520 refugees are to be resettled in Ireland by 31 December 2017, of whom 273 have been admitted from Lebanon to date since 20 July 2015 (date of Council Conclusions on resettlement). Sufficient cases were selected during a selection mission to Lebanon in January 2016 to fill the rest of the quota by the end of the summer. They have been security screened and are in the process of being health screened at present. They are expected to arrive between July and September. 250 of the refugees admitted to Ireland have completed their initial language training and orientation programme in one of the two Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres opened to date (see below) and have been resettled in housing in Kerry, Cork, Clare and Limerick. A further 260 refugees will be admitted from Lebanon in 2017. Relocation Programme So far 38 Syrians have arrived in Ireland under the relocation scheme. They are housed in the same Emergency Reception and Orientation Centre as the resettled refugees and benefitted from a similar programme once their asylum application had been determined. The slow pace of the relocation programme is mainly due to difficulties in getting migrants to register in Italy and Greece. The pace is expected to pick up significantly and the Greek authorities have agreed that they will double the numbers available for transfer to Ireland to 40 persons every 4 weeks. Some technical issues have arisen with regard to the programme in Italy. Government officials are working closely with the authorities in Italy to resolve these. The relocation programme intends to utilise integration mechanisms similar to those in use by the established and successful refugee resettlement programme. The methodology in use has been outlined above under the “Refugee Resettlement Programme”. Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres (EROCs) Two dedicated EROCs are in operation - the Hazel Hotel in Monasterevin and the Clonea Strand Hotel in Dungarvan [Read Less...

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Press Release 4th May 2016 - Department of Health
Minister Varadkar welcomes the announcement of the disbursement of €2.96m from the Dormant Accounts Fund
http://health.gov.ie/blog/press-release/minister-varadkar-welcomes-the-announcement-of-the-disbursement-of-e2-96m-from-the-dormant-accounts-fund/

Intercultural Health Project for Refugees

The funding allocation for this measure is €450,000.

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The Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar today (4th May, 2016) welcomed the announcement from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government that a new round of funding is being made available under the Dormant Accounts Fund. The funding to the Department of Health will be used to support a wide range of marginalised service users and community based supports for people with dementia.[

The following three health-related projects have been approved.

Mobile Health Screening Unit

The objective of this measure is to provide an accessible, targeted screening and primary care service to a wide range of marginalised service users in settings such as hostels, prisons, Direct Provision Centres and Refugee Reception and Orientation Centres. The measure will benefit a diverse cohort of marginalised groups including those affected by homelessness, migrants and asylum seekers, ROMA, Travellers, those who suffer from addiction and refugees. These groups are at higher risk than the general population of serious medical conditions, communicable diseases and psychiatric illnesses and/or substance use disorders. The measure is expected to contribute to improved health outcomes for the target groups.

The funding allocation for this measure is €1,460,000.

Intercultural Health Project for Refugees

This measure will support the delivery of a range of health services to meet the emerging needs of the new residents of the Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres (EROCs) established in Clonea and Monasterevin. The main objectives of the programme, which will be run over two years, are to identify the health needs of residents of the EROCs, provide health service information and access routes, deliver intercultural awareness training to health and social care staff and to provide a mental health support service as part of an outreach/satellite service. The services provided will include screening and public health services, interpreting services, GP services and out of hours, dental services, mental health including post-traumatic stress and transport to hospital appointments.

The funding allocation for this measure is €450,000.

Community Based Supports for People with Dementia

This measure will support pilot projects providing new models of care to support people with dementia to continue living well in their own homes and communities. The projects provide individualised supports, emergency and planned respite, carer support, assistive technology, inclusive community-based activities and information and awareness training. The measure will also provide for the roll out of a successful assistive technology show house concept to other Community Healthcare Organisations.

People with dementia and their carers are often both socially and economically disadvantaged and this allocation will allow people with dementia to continue to live well at home; it will inform the public about dementia, reduce the stigma associated with the disease, and provide people and communities with the know how to become dementia friendly. It will help carers to sustain their caring role and promote and facilitate the use of assistive technologies to support people with dementia and their carers.

The funding allocation for this measure is €1,050,000.

The allocations were welcomed by the Minister Varadkar and Minister Lynch. Minister Varadkar said: “I welcome this latest allocation of funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund. The funding will be used to assist those marginalised service users in our society who are at higher risk than the general population of serious medical conditions, communicable diseases and psychiatric illnesses and/or substance use disorders. These measures are expected to contribute to improved health outcomes for the target groups”.

Commenting on the funding for dementia, Minister Lynch added: “The funding allocated for dementia supports will allow people with dementia to continue to live in and actively participate in their own communities. This is in line with the National Dementia Strategy.”
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Update on Ireland’s Response to EU Migration and Refugee Crisis

10^th September 2015

The Government has today agreed to establish an ‘Irish Refugee Protection Programme’ to provide safe haven for persons seeking international protection and has agreed that Ireland will accept up to 4,000 persons overall under Resettlement & Relocation Programmes in response to the current migration crisis. The key points of this programme are -

· A Network of Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres to be established. Applicants will not be placed into the established Direct Provision System.

· Assessments and decisions on refugee status to be made in Centres, within weeks. Given that applicants are coming from Syria and Eritrea it is likely most will get refugee status very quickly.

· Special priority will be given to the plight of unaccompanied minors in the provision of supports and services.

· The Government has approved additional budget allocation to deal with major increase in asylum and other immigration cases.

· New cross-departmental Taskforce, chaired by the Department of Justice & Equality, will coordinate and implement the Programme. The Taskforce will work with NGO’s, religious bodies, local authorities and the Irish Red Cross. The first meeting of this Taskforce will take place on Tuesday 15 September.Read More...

Full details are available here http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PR15000463.

Ireland has demonstrated strong solidarity in the past both within the EU and externally and that will continue to be our approach. As is clear from the major programme announced by Government today Ireland will not be found wanting and as before will do the right and generous thing. The details of the proposals in relation to Ireland’s share of the 120,000 Relocation Proposals has yet to be agreed and accordingly it is premature at this stage to engage in discussions regarding the overall distribution between relocation and resettlement.

The Minister will attend an emergency meeting of the JHA Council in Brussels on Monday 14^th September when a range of measures including the emergency measure to relocate an additional 120,000 asylum seekers from Italy, Greece and Hungary will be discussed.

Ireland has already agreed to a total of 600 persons under the EU Relocation Programme in July as well as a total of 520 from the EU Resettlement Programme. An additional 2,900 persons will now be accepted by Ireland following todays Government decision.

For those persons seeking international protection and who will be considered for ‘Relocation’ this will involve working with the relevant EU Member State i.e. Italy, Greece and Hungary to identify persons who have already made it to Europe from specified countries to transfer them to other Member States like Ireland to process their claims for international protection (asylum). The EU is establishing teams of experts from EU agencies such as Frontex and the European Asylum Support Office in Italy, Greece and Hungary (known as Hotspots) in order to ensure effective and efficient co-ordination of the relocation programmes and to work with the States concerned and Member States participating in the Relocation Programme on the selection of caseloads and other logistical arrangements. Ireland will be sending Liasion Officers to these countries in this regard. Further discussions are ongoing at EU level on the details so the dates when first persons will arrive under the Programme have yet to be determined. After arrival the persons who come to Ireland will have assessments and decisions made on their cases within weeks and the expectation across Europe is that, because the persons concerned are coming from regions in which there are armed conflicts and other forms of serious human rights abuse, up to 90% will qualify as refugees with the majority of people coming from Syria and Eritrea.

The 520 persons identified for Resettlement in Ireland will be afforded full refugee status upon their arrival in Ireland. They will be accommodated in a Resettlement Reception Centre for a short period in order to undergo an orientation programme.

This is part of Ireland wider response to the EU crisis which includes:

NAVAL SEARCH AND RESCUE
Since May, following a bilateral agreement between Ireland and Italy, Ireland has deployed two Irish Naval Service vessels LE Eithne and now LE Níamh on search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea. These have made a very significant impact by saving the lives of thousands of people. To date, over 6,720 people have been rescued by Ireland’s Naval Service.

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE[
Ireland has also provided supports to areas particularly affected by instability and conflict. By the end of 2015, a total of €41 million will have been provided towards assisting those displaced as a result of the Syrian crisis, including through participation in a Regional Development and Protection Programme in the Middle East.

Ireland’s overall Asylum and Immigration picture
The commitments outlined above represent only a small part of the overall picture in relation to asylum and immigration. For example:

This year alone up to 3,500 applications for asylum are expected with over 2,100 received to the end of August. A breakdown of the main nationalities is as follows: Pakistan (46%), Bangladesh (9.5%), Albania (6.7%) and Nigeria (4.8%).
Syrian Humanitarian Admissions Programme (SHAP) was established in response to an approach from members of the Syrian Community in Ireland. A total of 114 vulnerable family members were granted permission to enter and reside in the State on a temporary basis for 2 years.
Over the past 10 years over 30,000 persons who have come through the Protection process in Ireland have been granted Refugee Status or Leave to Remain in the State under various processes. This is a very large response in terms of the size and population of our Country.
Over the past 4 years over 89,000 certificates of naturalisation has been granted by the Minister, many of which would have been granted refugee status or humanitarian Leave to Remain.
Each year approximately 100,000 Non-EEA nationals are granted permission to be in the State for a variety of reasons including students, employment or family re-unification, etc.
In addition, over 100,000 visas are expected to be granted this year both for short-term stays and for the longer term such as for business or study purposes, etc.

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