Iraqis fleeing jihadists to be resettled in Ireland

Dozens of Iraqi families fleeing Islamic State jihadists could be resettled in Ireland within weeks, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan.

Mr Flanagan said he had been shocked by accounts of “genocide jihadis” raping women and selling children into slavery in northern Iraq.

The newly appointed minister also pledged to fight for an increase in Ireland’s overseas aid budget as ministers begin discussions on next year’s spending.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, he said: “I’m particularly struck by the brutal and horrendous level of violence being perpetrated against women and children in northern Iraq by ISIS, a group of genocide jihadis.”

He said he imagined there would be “dozens” of families moved here.

“There will be families involved. It could happen in a matter of weeks,” he said. “There have been horrendous accounts of violence perpetrated by ISIS of men being shot, where women have been raped and where children have been sold into slavery.

“This is utterly unacceptable. Christian communities in northern Iraq have been destroyed.”

Details on what medical care Iraqi refugee families will need and how and where they will be resettled in Ireland are still being ironed out by the departments of Foreign Affairs and Justice.

Iraqi families resettling here are expected to be allowed by-pass the refugee direct provision system. Instead, families may be placed with relatives or contacts here and allowed to work, in a similar way to how Syrian refugees were resettled in Ireland.

The Government has also agreed to provide €500,000 to Unicef and the International Red Cross to support emergency response activities in northern Iraq.

Mr Flanagan also said he would make “strenuous efforts” to protect the Irish sid budget as ministers prepare for round-table discussions on 2015’s Budget. Ireland had promised to spend 0.7% of gross national income on overseas aid by 2015 in order to meet a UN target.

However, the fund fell to €599m this year, amounting to just 0.43% of GNP.

Mr Flanagan signalled he would move to increase the overseas aid budget. “I intend to strenuously defend the budget and make a case for restoration of amounts pledged, having regard to the fact that a stable world is good for Ireland,” he said.