I thought I was hearing things in the Dáil yesterday when the Taoiseach said the State’s approach to accommodating refugees and asylum seekers must change.
Leo Varadkar said there is a limit on Ireland’s capacity to provide for asylum seekers and people fleeing the war in Ukraine before adding, “We’re very much at that currently”.
He went on to say that the Government did not know if it would be in a position to provide accommodation to another 50,000 people “if that number arrived over the course of the next year”.
But why is the Taoiseach and this current Government only realising this now?
What has led to the pin finally dropping? Have they finally realised that immigration might actually become an election issue?
Tents outside the International Protection Office on Mount Street in Dublin, 27-05-2023. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNewsThere’s been a housing crisis in this country for many years. Like many people, I’m one of those impacted by it – I’m 38 and owning my own home in Dublin is nothing more than a fantasy.
At the height of that housing crisis, the Government brought in around 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.
Meanwhile, between January 2022 and the end of September 2023, some 22,398 international protection applicants arrived.
It does not take a mathematical genius to work out that this was unsustainable and would have an impact on housing.
While the majority of refugees and asylum seekers are living in hotels and B&Bs, it was obvious from day one that some of the new arrivals to the country would choose to remain here and make a life for themselves – and guess what, those people can’t live in hotels forever.
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach also told the Dáil yesterday that there is now a lot of “secondary movements” to Ireland, with Ukrainians who have been living in other Western European countries moving here to access the better social welfare benefits and supports on offer.
“It’s a long-standing issue with international protection,” he said.
“People who have been living safely in other parts of Western Europe for a period of time, then coming to Ireland and claiming asylum.
“Some of this is linked to the fact that we have a better offering in Ireland than would be the case in Northern Ireland or Britain or France or other countries that are not too far from us and that’s why we have to review the situation.”
Aftermath of a morning rocket attack on residential areas of Zaporizhzhia, south-eastern Ukraine. Image: Ukrinform / Alamy Stock PhotoAgain, this is nothing new.
Just yesterday, Ukrainian Network member Viktoria Tymoshchuk told Newstalk that the part of Ukraine she fled to come to Ireland is currently like ‘hell’ – but much of the west of the country remains relatively untouched.
She said the idea of people leaving relatively safe areas to come to Ireland is causing serious division among the Ukrainian community living here.
Exactly a year ago, I spoke to a number of Ukrainian refugees who told me that they were very grateful for the benefits Ireland offered – but they believed the offering was too generous and was encouraging some Ukrainians to come to Ireland not because they were fleeing war, but because of the generous social welfare benefits on offer.
And who could blame them?
Ireland offers Ukrainian refugees, who are not working, €220 per week – the highest social welfare benefits on offer for Ukrainian refugees of any EU country.
Weekly payments on offer to Ukrainians in other countries include:
- Hungary: €13.79
- Austria: €41
- Czech Rep: €42
- Greece: €50
- Netherlands: €53
- Luxembourg: €63
- Portugal: €68
- Italy: €75
- Denmark: €82
- Britain: €95
- France: €99
- Spain: €100
- Germany: €112
If Leo Varadkar is right and the issue of people deciding to come to Ireland after living safely in other parts of Europe is a ‘long-standing issue,’ what is the Government doing about it?
Will they now have enough time between now and the next election to do anything?
That remains to be seen.
