Ireland To 'Immediately Implement' EU Migrant Relocation Plan

Ireland will immediately move to implement a ruling by the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council to relocate around 40,000 people in need of international protection.

Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald said that she would expect a significant number of the 600 applicants to be relocated to Ireland within the next few months.

Commenting on the outcome of the Council meeting, Minister Fitzgerald said: "This is a humanitarian crisis which has continued to escalate and to which there are no simple answers. No one State can deal with this issue on their own and a coherent EU-wide response is needed.

"I have made it clear to our EU partners that Ireland will work closely and collaboratively with them. Today's Council was another step towards establishing a much needed response to the unprecedented situation we find ourselves in. I am confident that we will take the next steps when Ministers meet again in Luxembourg in October."

The Minister explained that Ireland's decision to opt-in comes not only out of a desire to help those seeking protection but also out of a desire to express solidarity with our EU partners who are under pressure from the sheer volume of migrants arriving daily.

Minister Fitzgerald said: "Ireland has always lived up to its international humanitarian obligations and we are fully committed to playing our part in addressing the migration crisis facing Europe."

Ireland's response as agreed by Government last week includes:

• The introduction of the 'Irish Refugee Protection Programme' which will provide international protection for up to 4,000 persons overall under Resettlement & Relocation Programmes in response to the current migration crisis.

• A Network of Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres to be established. Applicants will not be placed into the established Direct Provision System.

• Assessments and decisions on refugee status to be made in Centres, within weeks. Given that applicants are coming from Syria and Eritrea it is likely most will get refugee status very quickly.

• Special priority will be given to the plight of unaccompanied minors in the provision of supports and services.

• The Government has approved additional budget allocation to deal with major increase in asylum and other immigration cases.

• A new cross-departmental Taskforce, chaired by the Department of Justice & Equality, will coordinate and implement the Programme. The Taskforce will work with NGO's, religious bodies, local authorities and the Irish Red Cross. The first meeting of the Taskforce will take place on Tuesday 15 September.

(MH/CD)