Ireland should support Ukrainians to return to their
war-torn country by rebuilding infrastructure and possibly paying for travel back there, Minister for Integration
Roderic O’Gorman has said.
With the Temporary Protection Directive, which allows Ukrainians to live and work in the European Union, due to expire in March 2025, the Green Party TD said there is a “fundamental question” for Ireland and other EU member states that must be addressed urgently.
He told The Irish Times Inside Politics Podcast that while the directive might be extended with new legislation, the EU needed to decide its position on the millions of Ukrainians who will be living in member states once the current rules expire.
Mr O’Gorman said he also expects between
13,000 and 15,000 asylum seekers to arrive in the country annually from now on, and that the system for accommodating them and processing their applications is not “fit for purpose”.
He said Ireland is now receiving the EU average level of applications from people seeking international protection, but that it is “too much for the current system to face”.
Minister expects between 13,000 and 15,000 asylum seekers to arrive in the country annually from now on
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