Ireland should help Ukrainians return to their war-torn country by rebuilding infrastructure and possibly paying for their journey home, Integration Minister Roderick O’Gorman said.
As the Temporary Protection Directive allowing Ukrainians to live and work in the European Union expires in March 2025, there are “fundamental issues” in Ireland and other EU member states that need to be addressed urgently. said the Green Party TD.
He told the Irish Times Inside Politics podcast that although the directive could be extended by new legislation, millions of people who will live in member states after the current rules expire He said it was necessary to decide on the EU’s position on Ukrainians.
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“I think a decision needs to be made early this year to provide certainty for everyone,” he said.
“First of all, we need to help Ukrainians return home,” he said, citing a “brain drain” in the country and the loss of women and young people who fled Russia’s invasion. “I think Ireland and other member states should help people return.”
He said Ireland and other member states should first provide Ukraine with adequate infrastructure support and a “massive recovery programme”. He also said he was “absolutely willing to make it as easy as possible for people to return home”, including ways to support and incentivize them, such as paying for their travel expenses.
[ Government TDs raise concerns over plans to cut supports for newly arriving Ukrainian refugees ]
But he said Ukrainians would be more worried about whether they could rebuild their lives there than “the price of a Ryanair ticket.”
“I think everyone who comes back will accept that it’s going to be tough. But is there a future and is the EU going to help them rebuild in the same way that they helped them get out?” he said. Asked.
Mr O’Gorman also predicted that between 13,000 and 15,000 asylum seekers would arrive in the country each year from now on, and the system for housing them and processing their claims was “not fit for purpose”. said.
He said Ireland currently receives an average level of applications from people seeking international protection in the EU, which is “more than the current system can handle”.
He said more staff had been allocated to the International Protection Agency by Justice Minister Helen McEntee to speed up processing and appeal times, and that the government intended to move towards more focused accommodation in state-run facilities. He said plans in this regard will be submitted. It will be submitted to the Cabinet soon.
[ ‘People snatchers’: Ukraine’s army recruiters use harsh tactics to fill ranks for war against Russia ]
But he said it would take “many years” to actually ensure sufficient coordination to allow “steady state” in the new system, during which there would be “continued reliance on private sector coordination.” He said it would be. He said the government had worked with local communities and many centers had opened without opposition, but the system was under enormous pressure and needed to respond quickly.
He said there was a real risk that women and children would be turned away without beds when the decision was made to place people at the Raquet Hall Hotel in Roscrea at short notice.
Mr O’Gorman also confirmed that while assistance and advice would be provided, the government would withdraw accommodation for Ukrainians arriving here after 90 days. “Ultimately, accommodation will be provided for 90 days, after which people will be asked to leave the accommodation,” he said, calling this a “workable system.” He added that this is necessary for this to happen.
He said the total number of Ukrainians coming here has fallen sharply in recent months from 600-700 per week to about 150 per week in January.
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