Bid to take in children from Calais camp to be blocked by Government

A Dáil motion backed by all Opposition parties for Ireland to immediately take in up to 200 unaccompanied migrant children from Calais is set to be blocked by the Government because the French site is not an official resettlement camp.

Government officials reiterated the position, saying that despite the clear difficulties in Calais and the risks for unaccompanied children, agreeing to help those in immediate need is subject to serious legal hurdles.

Under plans put forward by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Dáil will on Wednesday see Opposition TDs seek to put down a motion calling for this country to take in hundreds of migrant children who are now homeless in Calais.

The unaccompanied minors, many of whom have travelled from Syria and other crisis-hit countries, are victims of a stand-off following the French government’s decision to dismantle the Jungle site in Calais, as it is not an official migrant resettlement zone.

Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, Labour, AAA-PBP, the Social Democrats, Greens, Independents4Change, and other unaligned Opposition Independents have confirmed they are backing the motion, with Sinn Féin’s children’s spokesman Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire confirming it will be heard by the Dáil on Wednesday.

Sinn Féin’s children’s spokesman Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Due to parliament’s numerical breakdown, the wide-ranging support means the motion will be easily passed if a vote takes place.

However, even if a vote goes ahead, Government is unlikely to act on the proposal, as the Calais site’s unofficial status means Ireland may not be able to offer refuge under the EU resettlement rules that apply to sites in Greece and other areas.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has responded to calls for action by re-emphasising that Ireland will have taken in up to 1,000 people from Syria and other countries by the end of this year.

Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said he told US secretary of state John Kerry at a meeting in Tipperary yesterday that the crisis in Syria is an “appalling situation” and assured him of “Ireland’s unfailing support for his efforts to find a peaceful resolution to this harrowing conflict”.