100 Syrians resettled in Ireland under UN humanitarian plan

More than 100 Syrians from the war-torn country have been granted safe haven in Ireland under a humanitarian admission programme.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said the people would be entitled to work, establish a business or invest — but could not become “a burden” on the State.

She said other avenues for admission, such as access to asylum procedures, family reunification, and leave to remain, were open to the Syrians.

Commenting ahead of a UN conference in Switzerland yesterday, Mrs Fitzgerald said 111 vulnerable people from Syria and the surrounding region have been granted admission to reside in Ireland.

This followed applications from relatives living here.

The Government has already accepted 90 Syrian refugees this year under the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) resettlement programme.

Mrs Fitzgerald said 308 applications were received under the Syrian Humanitarian Admission Programme, which was introduced by former justice minister Alan Shatter last March.

Speaking before a conference on resettlement and other forms of admission for Syrian refugees held by UNHCR in Geneva yesterday, Ms Fitzgerald said: “The individual family circumstances of each family were considered, in a humane and reasonable way, relying on UNHCR guidelines in granting the applications.

“We have pledged an additional 220 resettlement places for the 2015/2016 period (100 in 2015 and 120 in 2016). The majority of these resettlement places will be available for the resettlement of refugees displaced by the Syrian conflict currently resident in Jordan and Lebanon.”

Sophie Magennis, the head of office with UNHCR Ireland, welcomed the announcement: “The Irish resettlement and Syrian Humanitarian Admission Programme programmes will help to provide solutions for vulnerable Syrians fleeing conflict and to assist in the reunification of families with relatives already in Ireland.”

Given there were 308 applications from Syrians under the programme, Ms Magennis encouraged the authorities and other entities to see if other avenues might be available for admissions.

She said other initiatives might be study visas or work permits for Syrians fleeing the three-and-a-half year-old conflict. The UNHCR has appealed to countries to admit 130,000 Syrians under resettlement schemes by the end of 2016, with confirmed pledges to take 42,000 to date.

“With over 3m Syrians forced to become refugees the need is great,” said Ms Magennis.

She said 72 Syrians have arrived in Ireland since 2011 and claimed asylum (to September 2014) and 58 have been granted refugee status.