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IRC’s concern on ‘restrictive’ migration pledges

The Irish Refugee Council (IRC) has raised concerns about some of the commitments on migration in the draft programme for Government published earlier this week. 

The council welcomed some of the measures in the document – including those on integration, investment in more State-owned centres, staffing, and the provision of emergency accommodation. 

The organisation added, however, that its analysis of the 49 commitments on international protections showed that 26 of these were “restrictive”.

‘Punitive’ 

Chief executive Nick Henderson said that several commitments were “particularly concerning”, citing applicants to be provided with accommodation with restrictions on their freedom of movement and a request for contributions towards costs.  

"These commitments appear unnecessary and punitive, and it is not immediately clear how they comply with current law.  

“In contrast, there are only two mentions of supporting people in need of protection and no mentions of human-rights obligations in the context of this issue,” he stated. 

While the IRC welcomed a commitment to reduce the use of hotels for accommodating people seeking protection, and to use State lands to develop appropriate State-owned facilities, Henderson said that this measure would need “significant detail, development and investment”. 

Child payment 

The IRC noted what it described as “a significant omission” of any mention of a policy to support refugees from Ukraine who are in Ireland on temporary protection. 

Henderson added that there was also no mention of the International Protection Child Payment. 

“This was promised by the Government and has received allocations in budgets 2024 and 2025 but not drawn down and implemented. It was described as, and remains, a crucial measure to prevent child poverty,” he stated.