Child refugees 'in camps in Europe suffering from trench foot'

Ireland needs to live up to its commitments to provide a safe haven for refugees, according to a group of NGOs.

They say that the EU has been taking too long to act on commitments to resettle thousands of refugees.

The group has also warned that there will be no military solution to the wars in the Middle East, less than a week after the UK started bombing IS targets in Syria.

Launching a new report today, Protection, Resettlement and Integration: Ireland’s Response to the Refugee and Migration ‘Crisis’, the coalition expressed disappointment that the focus by EU leaders on border security has diverted attention from the urgent need to find political solutions to current crises.

Marissa Ryan from Oxfam says that conditions for those fleeing the war torn country are getting worse.

She said: "Despite several high-level commitments, the situation for desperate people has worsened, the harsh winter conditions have increased and danger is faced by people who are trying to flee.

"We have reports from our partners that small children who are in camps in Europe suffering from trench foot, because of the inadequate reponse of our leaders. This just cannot continue."

The coalition warned that there will not be a military solution to the current conflicts and EU Member States must put real pressure on all parties in the Middle East to engage in inclusive peace talks immediately.

The report makes a series of recommendations to the Irish Government, including:

* Making family reunification a reality without systematic barriers to allow refugees resettle in Ireland;

* Encouraging EU partners to introduce humanitarian visas to permit access to the EU at embassies and consulates;

* Ensuring that the new EU Trust Fund for Africa – to which Ireland has pledged an initial €3 million – must not divert development aid to curb migration or increase border security;

* Ending the commercial, for profit provision of accommodation for people seeking international protection;

* Establishing a Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Statelessness for Ireland along with local integration groups;

* Maintaining naval rescue missions throughout the winter;

* Calling for the suspension of the Dublin Convention with Italy, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia in order to alleviate pressure on states at the border of Europe.

The coalition expressed dismay that at a domestic level, most of the 173 recommendations made by the Government’s Working Group on the Protection Process in June 2015 have yet to be acted upon, impacting on Ireland’s ability to deliver a fair and functional asylum system in line with our international obligations.

Irish Refugee Council Chief Executive Sue Conlan said: "Single procedure as it currently stands in the proposed Protection Bill is not the answer.

"Yet the Government seem determined to rush it through without proper or adequate debate, which will result in new laws that do not properly or adequately respect or uphold the rights and protection needs of the people who will be impacted by it.”

The group is also critical of what it calls the "excessively slow pace" of action at EU level, highlighting that fewer than 200 of the 160,000 refugees the EU committed to relocating have actually been relocated so far.

Edel McGinley, Director of Migrant Rights Centre Ireland said: "It is disappointing and disheartening that the Government has fallen short of its commitment to the Irish public to welcome 4,000 men, women and children who are fleeing war and poverty and arriving at European borders.

"We have resettled just 100 people so far this year, and plan to resettle only 20 or 30 more. This is unacceptable."

As some European countries continue to tighten border controls or close borders completely, the situation is worsening for those seeking safety in Europe. The NGOs have urged political leadership in the fight against discrimination, exclusion, racism and Islamophobia, and the upholding human rights and humanitarian values, along with international obligations for people seeking protection.