Ireland will welcome 2,900 refugees over a four-year period under plans revealed today.
They will placed here through a combination of resettlement and community sponsorship between 2020 and 2023.
The plans provide for the resettlement of 650 people in 2020, 700 in 2021, 750 in 2022 and 800 in 2023 as part of a new phase of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP).
The arrivals for the first two years will largely be Syrian refugees living in Jordan and Lebanon, along with a pilot group of 150 Eritrean refugees who are resident in Ethiopia.
The European Commission will provide €9 million in funding to support the resettlement of 900 people between early 2020 and June 2021.
Under the IRPP, established by the government in 2015, Ireland has committed to accepting 4,000 people.
The people who will be settled here will arrive under various strands, including the EU Relocation Mechanism and UNHCR-led Resettlement Programme.
As of today, 3,151 people have arrived under the IRPP including 51 refugees who arrived this morning.
The plans were unveiled by the Minister for Justice and Equality Charlie Flanagan and the Minister of State with responsibility for Equality, Immigration and Integration David Stanton.
Minister Flanagan said: “The humanitarian situation in a number of regions around the world remains particularly acute.
"It is only right and proper that Ireland plays its part and offers a helping hand to those less fortunate than ourselves.
“This new phase of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) will build on the work we have been doing since 2015 to resettle thousands of people.
He concluded: "I’m proud that as a dedicated and active member of the international community, we continue to uphold our responsibilities in helping those fleeing the most harrowing circumstances including war and persecution."
Minister Stanton said: “Faced with the largest flows of displaced people since the Second World War, it is vital that we act – collectively, determinedly and urgently, to implement the Global Compact on Refugees.
“It is important that Ireland continues to play its part in acting as a safe haven for people in need of protection and humanitarian support.
He added: “We want to ensure that refugees who arrive in Ireland feel fully integrated into the community."
