LIMERICK refugee and immigrant support group Doras has called for a new agency for refugees and reform of the system, citing their deep concern at repeated examples of one group of refugees displacing another from accommodation.
“While Doras welcomes the decision to allow the 135 Ukrainian women and children to remain in Killarney, this is not the first time that one group of people have been moved to make way for others,” said Doras chief executive John Lannon.
Last May, a Limerick community was shocked by the decision to move a group of Ukrainian refugees from County Limerick to Dublin.
“We should continue to welcome people who need protection here, but Ireland needs to meet its commitments to beneficiaries of temporary protection, and to international protection applicants. And they all need to be treated with dignity and respect.”
He said that such treatment can be devastating and re-traumatising for people who have established some normality in their lives after escaping from a war zone.
It’s particularly problematic for children, Lannon says.
Mr Lannon said Doras acknowledges the huge challenge the Department of Children has in finding accommodation for over 50,000 people.
“It was understandable that they would be in crisis response mode when people started to arrive from Ukraine in large numbers.
“But we’re now seven months into the war in Ukraine. We’re coming into the winter and the accommodation situation is not improving. From our support and outreach work, what we’re seeing paints a grim picture.”
