Ireland cannot walk away from its refugee commitments

The current political uncertainty we face here is nothing compared to the uncertainty of those forced to get in boats and flee for their lives, writes Brian Killoran

The fifth anniversary of the start of the war in Syria on March 11 is a milestone in a crisis which has been marked by diplomatic failure, botched policies, and perhaps most shameful of all, broken promises to men, women, and children fleeing for their lives.

The recent 999-call for help from refugees hidden in a container in Rosslare is a stark reminder that Ireland cannot remain removed from a Europe-wide crisis which is deteriorating rather than improving.

The scenes in Calais and on the Mediterranean may grab the headlines, but there are also refugee camps in Cherbourg and Roscoff, where at least some of the occupants are hoping to reach Irish shores.

The current domestic political limbo cannot be an excuse for a lack of action by the Government. The political uncertainty we face here is nothing compared to the uncertainty of those getting onto boats fleeing for their lives into an unknowable future — and this should be the priority regardless of party politics.

The reality is the policy decisions to take in 4,000 men, women, and children were made six months ago — yet overall, the numbers resettled here are only a fraction of that: 500 in the five years since the start of the crisis.

No doubt the anniversary will stir memories of the terrible scene of a child’s body lying on a Turkish beach which sparked revulsion across Ireland, forcing our then government into action — including a crisis cabinet meeting and promises delivered on the steps of Government Buildings to offer shelter, protection, and hope.

As a country we have a duty to honour those commitments.

We are not alone in falling short on delivering on promises to those fleeing for their lives. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees confirms that combined EU governments have only resettled 325 people from Greece — despite promises to shelter 66,400.

It is the failure to implement those programmes that is creating the hot-spots and bottle-necks of humanity on Europe’s borders — where we have all borne witness to babies being handed over and under barbed war — scenes which Europe thought it would never see again.

The number of lives lost on the high seas in the first two months of this year stands at 418, a toll made even starker by the fact highlighted by the International Organisation for Migration that two children drown every day. On this anniversary Ireland should stand in solidarity with the people of Syria and all those fleeing war and tyranny.

There are a number of actions which should be taken immediately, including a political decision to redeploy the Irish navy on search and rescue where it saved 8,000 lives last year, immediately honour our previous commitment to take in 4,000 refugees, and to publish a comprehensive integration strategy for those arriving here.

The Irish people are ready for action, with many having made commitments to welcome refugees into their communities and indeed their homes, and it is time for the Government to follow the will of its people. In the longer term, Irish policies in the area of migration will need to be addressed so as to reflect a world where the reality is that one in every 122 people have been forced to flee from their home.

The Immigrant Council of Ireland has campaigned to highlight shortfalls including the failure to introduce a fair immigration system with clear rules and guidelines as well as independent appeals. In addition, we need proper procedures in place to protect vulnerable groups such as children travelling alone or those who have fallen victims to human trafficking gangs and are being subjected to sexual and labour exploitation.

A promised national action plan on human trafficking remains at a draft stage and has yet to be published.

Next September, through its ambassador at the UN, Ireland will co-chair a global summit on refugees.

Preparations for that gathering must be advanced so that our mission at the UN not only has the resources to secure commitments from countries on aid and resettlement, but that we will follow up and ensure they are honoured.

However, failure to implement our own resettlement programme will only serve to undermine any effort to achieve that. The summit can only be a success if we are to lead by example.

Since the arrival of refugees in Rosslare, the Immigrant Council has also committed to taking action. As an independent law centre, we are, for the first time, sending lawyers abroad to assess the legal needs of those in camps in France and to see how they can be addressed. It is a first for us and the findings will determine the future course of our response to the crisis.

In the coming days, there will be commemorations and events to remember the lives lost over the past five years — there will be poignant moments for us all as we recall the scenes of tragedy which stand like milestones in a bloody journey.

It is right to remember — but it is also right to commit to action and to do everything possible to ensure those scenes are not repeated over and over again.

[social=twitter]https://twitter.com/BriKi/status/702558702000283649/social]

Brian Killoran is chief executive of the Immigrant Council of Ireland