1,000 signatures reached
To: Minister for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald
Welcome Syrian Refugees To Ireland
Ireland agreed to take 4,000 refugees in the wake of the biggest refugee crisis since World War II on September 10th of last year. Given Ireland’s painful history with emigration it’s disappointing that this number was not significantly higher. What’s more disappointing is that it will take 2 years to take up this paltry allocation. At that rate it would mean that Ireland should have welcomed 1,100 refugees by the end of March 2016. The actual number of Syrian refugees welcomed is just 10.
Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald said in the Dail last year “Ireland has, always lived up to its international humanitarian obligations and the Government are fully committed to playing its part in addressing the current crisis”. She must live up to this commitment by speeding up the allocation of places to refugees fleeing war and persecution.
Why is this important?
Ireland has international humanitarian obligations to act and respond to this crisis. The crisis in Syria is resulting in millions of displaced people forced to flee for their lives and their safety. People power forced the government to agree to an increase in the number of refugees last year. Now we must step up again to make the government live up to this commitment.