Robust plan to integrate people is key - Arrival of refugees

WITH 100 refugees from war-torn Syria already in Ireland and up to 4,000 immigrants expected here over the next two years, it is heartening to feel the Government is actively planning to ensure they are fully integrated in Irish society. 

Meanwhile, as millions flee the bloody terror of the Middle East and Africa converge on Europe, Austria is considering joining countries where barriers and fences are being built to control the movement of immigrants which has become a flood since Russia started bombing Syrian rebel forces.

In stark contrast with Greece, where 9,000 immigrants arrive every day, Ireland’s remoteness and its island status means this country can effectively control the arrival of immigrants, with 100 more due to arrive before Christmas, all to be located in Cork and Kerry. The question looming large in the public mind is what happens them when they get here?

With several state organisations involved in planning their accommodation, a jaundiced public could be forgiven for thinking of the old proverb about ‘many a slip twixt the cup and the lip’ — in other words things can go wrong. Doubtless, this explains why the Immigrant Council of Ireland called yesterday on the Fine Gael/Labour coalition to put a robust integration plan in place before refugees begin arriving in this country at a rate of 100 a month.

Reportedly, they are looking at hotels and disused army barracks as temporary locations until more permanent accommodation is provided. There is a real danger, however that what may be seen as ‘temporary’ could become ‘permanent’, with all that entails in terms of overcrowding and isolation in ghettoes instead of being immersed in local communities. Remarkably, the Immigrant Council, which is working at the cliff face of the problem and dealing with 5,000 immigration queries a year, is not included in the official group though apparently its voice is heard.

Perhaps that explains why Brian Killoran, chief executive of the council, felt obliged to issue a no-nonsense call yesterday urging ministers to enlarge publicly on their proposals for reuniting those who have been torn apart from loved ones. According to Mr Killoran, the existing arrangements for family reunifications “involve a cumbersome process which must be made efficient, fair and transparent”.

Unlike the hundreds of people seeking asylum in Ireland left languishing for years in inappropriate accommodation, the new immigrants will be dealt with in weeks. If that fails to happen, we can be absolutely sure that men, women and children who braved the hazardous waters of the Mediterranean, possibly being rescued by the Irish navy before making the long walk across Europe to find a safe haven in Ireland, will not be afraid to make their grievances known internationally. As made clear by the council, providing shelter is just a first step towards ensuring that those fleeing terror get every opportunity to restart their lives.

They must, for instance, be given access to information on how the Government intends to respect their rights, thus ensuring that the humanitarian response demanded by people across Ireland finally becomes a reality.