New migration strategy 'badly needed', say Sanctuary Runners 

Members of the Sanctuary Runners at the gates of Leinster House to call for the new government to adopt a ‘community integration strategy’. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins

A network of runners from across the country laced up their jogging shoes and rallied outside the Dáil to highlight the need for a better strategy on integrating migrants.

Sanctuary Runners, headed up by former Dublin GAA star Michael Darragh MacAuley, says sport should act as an inspiration for how we can successfully integrate migrants into society.

The movement has produced a paper outlining its recommendations for the new government to adopt a 'community integration strategy' rather than a 'migrant integration strategy'.

On Wednesday, more than 40 members of the movement turned up for the rally wearing their blue tee shirts, and with placards urging ‘Friendship’,  ‘Solidarity’ and ‘A Chance of Unity for You and Me’.

Graham Clifford, founder of the Sanctuary Runners, told the Irish Examiner the most recent Migrant Integration Strategy ended in 2021, and a new one was “badly needed”.

“We need to change our plan in terms of integration in Ireland to adopt a community integration strategy rather than migrant integration strategy,” he said.

We need one that involves everybody across the country rather than putting the onus of integration solely on the migrant — which we think is unfair and unrealistic.

“Changing this plan will lead to more social cohesive communities across the country and benefit everybody,” Mr Clifford said.

The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show 2.7 million people are working in Ireland currently, and half a million of them are non-Irish citizens.

In April 2024, Ireland saw 149,200 immigrants move to Ireland and 69,900 people move from Ireland.

Sanctuary Runners is made up of people from all over the world who are living in Ireland — most of whom are in direct provision — who gather to walk and run in solidarity with each other.

Founded in Cork in 2018, there are now 43 Sanctuary Runners groups across Ireland, as well as six swimming clubs, while 25,000 have taken part in events under the Sanctuary Runners banner around the country.

“Since we set this out to TDs last week, there is a willingness there, but they don’t know the way,” said Mr Clifford. “We have to listen to people and the communities.

We have white Irish people making decisions and that is hard when you’re trying to come up to hear the other voices.

“The current strategy — the Migrant Integration strategy — ended in 2021, but it was aspirational and had no teeth.” 

Sanctuary Runner Christy Odianosen from Nigeria, who lives in direct provision in Blanchardstown, west Dublin, said: “We run every Saturday — it’s a happy coming together and we have coffees and get involved in the community, everyone is friendly, and they support us and are helpful”.

Christina Chiawa from Malawi is in the Parkline group in Finglas, west Dublin, and has been with them since August.

“I have made a lot of friends” she said. “We are free, and integration is helpful to us”.

Sufian Elgahmi from Libya said: “I am in Ireland five years, it was difficult to make friends, and now in the group it means a lot for me and my family and mixing with people.”