Ukraine ambassador: Up to 80,000 refugees could come to Ireland

A young boy refugee fleeing Ukraine arrives at the Vysne Nemecke border crossing in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia; many refugees from Ukraine are expected in Ireland. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko said that to date 6,000 refugees have arrived here and plans are under way to set up a Ukrainian community centre where people could come to meet up with other refugees and get information.

When asked how many Ukrainians she thought would come to Ireland, the ambassador told RTÉ's Morning Ireland it was very difficult to predict and that more would come —  perhaps up to 80,000.

Many Ukrainians did not realise that the visa requirement for Ireland had gone. If Ukrainian media communicated that a visa was no longer needed for Ireland then “many thousands will arrive”.

Ms Gerasko said people had a lot of questions — how to get education for their children, how to get them into school and preschool, and how to access a GP. 

“It’s very difficult for them, some of them don’t have friends or relatives here. They don’t understand how the system in the country works,” Ms Gerasko said. 

Demand for translators

Ms Gerasko pointed out that many also did not speak English so the Ukrainian community was trying to assist with translators.

She thanked the Irish Government and the Irish people for such a warm welcome.

Her own parents remained in Ukraine and refused to leave their home to join her in Ireland.

She said that she asked them every day to come to her. Ms Gerasko said her mother finished every conversation saying “I hope we will be alive tomorrow”.

She said that while talks continue in the hope of finding a peaceful solution “we will never forget and we will never forgive”.