Policy and Political Responses to Ireland’s Refugee Crisis

Responses to refugees and international protection applicants in the Republic of Ireland have, in recent years, mostly been reactive attempts at crisis management. Since the invasion of the Ukraine by Russia in 2022, Ireland has admitted exponentially larger numbers of refugees than previously (under the European Temporary Protection Directive) alongside hugely increased numbers of asylum seekers (International Protection applicants). In the absence of state capacity to provide adequate accommodation for the increased number of refugees and asylum seekers and to provide supports for host communities, this has led to an ongoing wave of anti-refugee protests and anti-social behaviour promoted and exploited by far-right groups in both deprived urban areas and in rural areas. The focus of this paper is on a number of interconnected challenges. There is a need to develop services, accommodation and infrastructure to meet the needs of future projected arrivals, as well as those who have arrived in recent years. There is also a need to proactively address anxieties within host communities by improving engagement with and supports to these communities. Zero-sum perceptions that host communities suffer from the arrival of refugees need to be addressed. This cannot be done without a wider social policy focus on social cohesion, community development and the strategic development of State capacity to provide proactive supports to host communities.