Ireland ‘a hero’ for migrant efforts

Ireland was described as “a hero” and an example to other countries for agreeing to take more than 1,000 migrants from war-torn regions as the EU struggled to find temporary homes for thousands more.

After several meetings the pledge to take 60,000 people - mostly from Syria and Eritrea - still fell short by around 5,000 with some countries refusing to take any and others claiming they had enough from elsewhere.

Ireland was asked to take less than 300 who are in camps outside the EU and another 270 from Italy and Greece, the frontline countries that are finding it had to cope with the influx from across the Mediterranean.