Ministers defend Ireland’s policy towards Ukrainian refugees amid reports of criticism from UK

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INTEGRATION MINISTER RODERIC O’Gorman has responded to reported concerns from UK ministers regarding Ireland’s policy towards Ukrainian refugees.

The Telegraph this morning reported that UK ministers have voiced concerns that Ireland’s “open door” policy to Ukrainian refugees represents a security risk to the UK.

The newspaper quoted a British government source as saying “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the Common Travel Area”.

“We’ve seen before with migrants from Albania that they have come through Dublin, into Belfast and across to the mainland to Liverpool. That’s created a drug cartel route,” the source is reported to have told The Telegraph.

The Common Travel Area, which has been in place since 1922, is a reciprocal arrangement between Ireland and the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands that allows British and Irish citizens to travel freely between the UK and Ireland and reside in either jurisdiction .

The United Nations said on Sunday that 1.5 million have fled Ukraine since the invasion of the country by Russia, stating that it is the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

The Department of Justice on Friday confirmed that visa requirements are being waived for Ukrainians who travel to Ireland.

In particular, the department said it aims to “streamline and support the swift exit” of Ukrainians with family members who are Irish citizens, and Ukrainians with family members are residents in Ireland and who are also from Ukraine.

Additionally, the European Union has decided to grant temporary protection to people fleeing from Ukraine that will enable them to live, work and study in EU countries with a residence permit.

The government yesterday opened an online portal for people who want to register and offer accommodation to Ukrainian refugees who arrive into the country.

Defending Ireland’s policy of taking in refugees from Ukraine, O’Gorman this morning said that “Ireland’s response to the crisis in Ukraine is part of an EU response, and that EU response is a generous response, it’s an open response”.

“It recognizes the magnitude of humanitarian crisis we’re seeing on the borders with the European Union and it’s responding accordingly,” the Minister told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

“So Ireland will set a policy in line with the EU policy, that is a policy that … provides easy access for Ukrainians to our country and the range of supports we’ve discussed. That’s the right approach,” he said.

O’Gorman said he’s not aware of whether the British government has raised direct concerns with Ireland on the matter, but added that Justice Minister Helen McEntee is in regular contact with the British Home Secretary Priti Patel and all EU Justice Ministers.

Addressing the report in The Telegraph of concerns from the British government regarding Ireland’s policy, O”Gorman said: “I’m very reluctant to comment on some anonymous source but … everyone who looks at the pictures coming from Ukraine right now understands that we need an immediate and generous humanitarian response. That’s what Ireland is doing and that’s the right thing to do.”

Ireland’s European Affairs Minister, Thomas Byrne, tells Sky News that about 2,000 Ukrainians have traveled to Ireland, and he expects “many more” to follow.

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In an interview with Sky News this morning, Minister of State for European Affairs Thomas Byrne was asked about the UK’s current policy of requiring Ukrainians to apply for visas to seek refuge from the situation.

“I’m not going to get into a battle between nations. I think everybody is playing the part. From what I can see, the British are helping out on the military front, it’s not something that Ireland is doing,” Byrne said.

“So, there are things that we can do that others maybe can’t do for whatever reason, that’s a matter for the British government,” he said.

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“The Irish government is in constant contact with the British government and will continue to be so throughout this particular crisis. But I’m not going to get into a battle or competition on who’s the most virtuous in a war,” the Minister of State said.

“This is a crisis situation of really unprecedented proportions in all of our lifetimes and the Irish government is dealing with it in this particular way, in the context of membership of the European Union.”

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