Skip to main content
Immigrant Council of Ireland
Get help Donate SearchSearch icon
Search
  • About
  • Get Help
  • Campaigns
  • News
  • Resources
  • Support Us
  • Training

Who We Are

  • Vision & Mission
  • Our stories
  • Meet the team
  • Board of directors
  • Contact us
  • Work with us
  • Sign up for our newsletter

What We’ve Done

  • Impact Statement
  • Stories

How We Work 

  • Our Process
  • Partnerships
  • Independent Law Centre
  • Community Navigators
  • Education & Training

Governance

  • Good Practice & Transparency
  • How we are funded
  • Annual Reports
  • Child Protection Policy

Information Line

  • Call Us
  • Report Racism
  • Information for Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse

Your Rights

  • Know Your Rights
  • Citizenship & Permanency
  • Family Reunification
  • Working in Ireland
  • Domestic Abuse
  • International Students
  • Anti-trafficking
  • Anti-racism

FAQs

  • Top 10 FAQs
  • COVID-19 and immigration FAQs
  • Brexit immigration FAQs
  • Undocumented Regularisation Scheme FAQs

Case Studies

  • Stories
  • Share your story
  • Campaigns
  • Be an Ally Against Racism!
  • Anti-Racism
  • Gender-Based Violence
  • Trafficking of Women and Girls
  • Refugee Crisis
  • Integration
  • Immigration Reform
  • Statelessness
  • Child Migration Matters
  • Show Racism the Red Card
  • Local Migrant Integration Index
  • Immigrant Council training
  • Publications
  • Newsletter
  • Media Resources
  • Useful Links
  • Privacy Statement
  • Donate
  • Fundraise
  • Share your story

 

  • Immigrant Council Training
  • Request more information
  • Intercultural and Anti-racism training
  • Diversity training
  • Immigration process training
  • Migrant political participation training
  • Anti-trafficking training
  • Show Racism the Red Card

 

 

  • About

    Who We Are

    • Vision & Mission
    • Our stories
    • Meet the team
    • Board of directors
    • Contact us
    • Work with us
    • Sign up for our newsletter

    What We’ve Done

    • Impact Statement
    • Stories

    How We Work 

    • Our Process
    • Partnerships
    • Independent Law Centre
    • Community Navigators
    • Education & Training

    Governance

    • Good Practice & Transparency
    • How we are funded
    • Annual Reports
    • Child Protection Policy
  • Get Help

    Information Line

    • Call Us
    • Report Racism
    • Information for Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse

    Your Rights

    • Know Your Rights
    • Citizenship & Permanency
    • Family Reunification
    • Working in Ireland
    • Domestic Abuse
    • International Students
    • Anti-trafficking
    • Anti-racism

    FAQs

    • Top 10 FAQs
    • COVID-19 and immigration FAQs
    • Brexit immigration FAQs
    • Undocumented Regularisation Scheme FAQs

    Case Studies

    • Stories
    • Share your story
  • Campaigns
    • Campaigns
    • Be an Ally Against Racism!
    • Anti-Racism
    • Gender-Based Violence
    • Trafficking of Women and Girls
    • Refugee Crisis
    • Integration
    • Immigration Reform
    • Statelessness
    • Child Migration Matters
    • Show Racism the Red Card
  • News
  • Resources
    • Local Migrant Integration Index
    • Immigrant Council training
    • Publications
    • Newsletter
    • Media Resources
    • Useful Links
    • Privacy Statement
  • Support Us
    • Donate
    • Fundraise
    • Share your story
  • Training

     

    • Immigrant Council Training
    • Request more information
    • Intercultural and Anti-racism training
    • Diversity training
    • Immigration process training
    • Migrant political participation training
    • Anti-trafficking training
    • Show Racism the Red Card

     

     

Get help Donate
Press release

UKRAINE CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION IN RESPONSE TO CRISIS OF REFUGEE ACCOMMODATION AND WELFARE

05 July 2022

Addressing Oireachtas members, Forum calls on Government to appoint a National Refugee Response Lead to co-ordinate efforts to house and settle refugees for short-medium term

05 July 2022 – The Ukraine Civil Society Forum (UCSF), has said that the incredible response to the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the arrival of refugees into Ireland from Government, state agencies, NGOs and charities, communities, and families must now be followed by new structures and a national plan to address the growing accommodation crisis that many refugee families with children are experiencing.

Representatives from the UCSF that includes 65 civil society organisations involved in the emergency response and settlement of Ukrainian refugees to Ireland, made the call during an all-party briefing to Oireachtas members in Leinster House today.

UCSF said that the unprecedented arrival and settlement of almost 40,000 people fleeing the war in Ukraine requires new ways to manage the national response.

Paying tribute to the political leadership shown by the Government and the tireless work of civil and public servants across government departments and agencies to date, the Forum said that we now need to move from emergency response mode to planning for the medium term.

In particular UCSF said that there is now huge pressure on accommodation, and that this situation is set to deteriorate further in the coming weeks as short-term options such as hotels and student accommodation are no longer available. The Forum said its member organisations are reporting that families are being moved around the country on short notice from place to place. Some will have moved 3-4 times and that this is very unsettling for children in particular and makes employment impossible. UCSF published a policy paper* setting out four recommendations to improve Ireland’s response now and in the longer term to relieve pressure on accommodation, improve communication and plan for the medium term.

The four recommendations are:

1. Appoint and resource a National Lead to drive planning, coordination and implementation

2. Mandate the Housing Agency to drive development of medium-term accommodation for refugees

3. Establish a Refugee Agency as per White Paper Recommendations on Ending Direct Provision

4. Urgently resource welfare and integration

 

The UCSF said that Ireland has the capacity and resources to manage the situation right and can learn from how other countries are managing the same levels of refugees. But said that decisions needed to be made faster.

 

Speaking at the Oireachtas briefing and publication of the policy paper, Emma Lane-Spollen, National Co-ordinator of the Ukraine Civil Society Forum said, “The Forum supports the national coordination of civil society and community responses to inform and shape what needs to be done to help both people who have fled the war in Ukraine to Ireland, and the local communities where they are now are living. The unprecedented arrival and reception of so many people fleeing war requires new ways to manage the national response.
 

“The Government has done a very good job in managing the initial response and welcoming thousands of Ukrainian families in line with its international obligations. But community groups and civil society organisations have become frustrated with lack of communication and forward planning.

 

“The appointment of a National Refugee Response Lead to drive implementation, establishing a Co-ordination group between civil society and government, and the appointment of local Directors of Service will address much of the disconnect that currently exists.

 

“These simple steps will go a long way to ensuring that we can build on the positive initial response and find solutions that work for everyone.”

 

Anatoliy Prymakov of Ukrainian Action in Ireland (UACT) said “We must urgently focus on solutions that can support normal family life for Ukrainian families who have been forced from their homes and experienced immense trauma in travelling to and settling in Ireland. Hotel living is a short term solution and we recognise that there is no silver bullet. But the government can assist Ukrainian families by resourcing communities and local authorities and working with the private sector to realise every possibility including holiday homes, converting unused buildings, and repurposing office spaces into apartments.”

The CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, Nick Henderson, added, “We are facing an accommodation crisis that will deteriorate further in the weeks and months ahead. There is an urgent need to put in place dedicated leadership and implementation structures to develop and implement medium to long term accommodation solutions along with resourcing public offers of support and refugee welfare and integration.”

 

“We are very conscious of accommodation challenges that persist across the country particularly given the housing crisis and long-standing issues with how Ireland accommodates people in the international protection system. The Government, therefore, cannot manage this totally new situation by simply doing things the same way it has always done them. We must utilise the expertise of the Housing Agency and mandate it to drive the agenda on accommodation.”

“The Ukrainian crisis has made it ever more urgent to implement the recommendations of the White Paper to End Direct Provision and fast track the decision to establish a Refugee Agency.”

 

UCSF members John Lannon of Doras in Limerick and Rachel Doyle of Community Work Ireland also called for dedicated resources to support the welfare and integration of refugees especially in communities with high concentrations.

 

The UCSF is continuing to engage with Government, senior civil servants, members of the Opposition, agencies and local authorities delivering vital services on the ground.

 

ENDS

 

For more information, national and regional media requests, please contact Q4 Public Relations: Sabrina D’Angelo / 086 032 3397 / sabrina@q4pr.ie / Ronan Farren / 087 934 0386 / ronan@q4pr.ie

*A copy of the Ukraine Civil Society Forum policy paper is available here

Back to News
Share
Immigrant Council of Ireland logo
Donate Take Action
Follow Us Twitter logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Facebook logo
Contact Immigrant Council of Ireland Contact Immigrant Council of Ireland Contact
Newsletter

About

Who We Are

  • Vision & Mission
  • Meet the Team
  • Board of Directors
  • Work With Us

What We've Done

  • Impact Statement
  • Our Stories

How We Work

  • Our Process
  • Working in Partnership
  • Independent Law Centre
  • Training

Governance

  • Good Practice & Transparency
  • Annual Reports

Get Help

  • Immigration Helpline
  • Call Us
  • Report Racism

Your rights

  • Know Your Rights
  • Citizenship and Permanency
  • Family Reunification
  • Working in Ireland
  • Domestic Abuse
  • International Students
  • Anti-trafficking
  • Anti-racism

FAQs

  • Top 10 FAQs

 

Case Studies 

  • Stories
  • Share your story

Campaigns

  • Campaigns

News

  • Latest news

Resources

  • Publications
  • Media Resources
  • Useful Links

Support Us

  • Donate
  • Fundraise
  • Working in Partnership
Made by Piquant
Copyright © 2023 - Immigrant Council of Ireland - Registered Charity Number 20061982 - Privacy statement