The Government expects to welcome tens of thousands of Ukrainians to Ireland in the coming weeks and months, Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman has said. 

As of Sunday, 9,750 have arrived so far but the Minister told The Hard Shoulder that he expected that figure to at least double as the conflict continues: 

“It very much depends on the number of people leaving the country but I think we will have tens of thousands of people coming to Ireland over the weeks ahead,” he said.

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Currently all Ukrainians in Ireland have chosen the Emerald Isle as their destination of choice. However, going forward there will likely be some kind of EU-wide dispersal scheme to even the burden out among member states: 

“As the crisis develops - and as countries like Poland, Hungary, Romania have very large numbers of people coming there - there will be an element of allocation."

He continued: 

“Right now a lot of people want to remain close to the Ukrainian border with the hope that there will be a ceasefire, with the hope that they’ll be able to return. 

“And obviously everyone wants to see that happen. But if that doesn’t happen and we see large builds up of a million people in Hungary, in Poland, in those neighbouring countries they will look for assistance from other EU member states.” 

Ukrainian refugees wait to board busses at the Medyka border crossing in Poland on March 11th, 2022. Picture by: ZUMA Press Inc / Alamy Stock Photo

Some 20,000 Irish people have pledged a room or an entire home to Ukrainians and it is hoped that this will help them quickly integrate into Irish society: 

“We’re looking to allow Ukrainian refugees, Ukrainian families, Ukrainian children to integrate into our systems, our education system and, probably more importantly, our communities across the country as much as possible. 

“And we’re seeing huge efforts being made by communities in terms of making themselves ready to assist Ukrainians once they arrive. 

“So certainly we’re looking to facilitate integration.”

Main image: Lviv, Ukraine - March 7, 2022: Ukrainian refugees on Lviv railway station waiting for train to escape to Europe.