Ireland not offering refuge to ‘fair share’ of Syrian refugees, says NGO

The Irish State must open its doors to more than 700 Syrians in order to resettle a "fair share" of the nearly four million refugees seeking asylum, says Oxfam.

Oxfam has released an analysis of Syrian humanitarian aid commitments to coincide with the third International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria which takes place today in Kuwait.

The United Nations is appealing for $8.4 billion (€7.7 billion) in financial aid from the international community in 2015 to support the 18 million people living in Syria and in neighbouring countries.

Oxfam's Fair Share Analysis report, which determines what a country's donation should be depending on economic growth, shows the Irish Government pledged and donated more than its "fair share" in financial assistance in 2014. The Government originally pledged €12 million to Syria last year, but ended up donating €14 million in humanitarian support.

Minister of State Seán Sherlock announced at Tuesday’s conference the Government would provide another €12 million in funding and emergency supplies in 2015 to those affected by the Syrian conflict.

“This funding underlines Ireland’s continued commitment to responding to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria and in neighbouring countries,” said Mr Sherlock. “It will bring the total value of the Irish Government’s response to the crisis in Syria to over €41 million.”

Government should settle 722 Syrians rather than 343

While the State may have successfully met donor targets for 2014, the report shows Ireland is failing to resettle an adequate number of Syrian refugees seeking asylum.

According to Oxfam, 343 Syrians have been offered refuge in Ireland since 2011. These include the 111 Syrians who were granted permission to reside in Ireland under the Syrian Admissions Programme (SHAP).

However, based on the size of the Irish economy, Oxfam says the Government should resettle 722.9 Syrians.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice confirmed the Government plans to admit 100 Syrian refugees in 2015 and a further 120 in 2016, but will keep the situation under “regular review”.

The department has received 87 applications for refugee status from Syrian applicants since the conflict began in 2011.

Colm Byrne, Humanitarian Manager with Oxfam, warns of the “extraordinarily serious long-term implications” for Syrian children who are no longer in education and suffering the trauma of conflict.

“The numbers of refugees are almost reaching four million,” said Mr Byrne. “It’s the largest refugee population in the world and that’s only in the space of four years.”

“If that continues to rise, the concern will be the strain it places on countries like Lebanon and Jordan,” he said, adding that Syrian refugees now make up 25 per cent of the Lebanese population.

International pledges made at last year’s donor conference fell far short of what is needed in support, while Oxfam calculates nearly half of the world’s top donors didn’t give their “fair share” of aid in 2014. These nations include Australia, Japan, Austria and Russia, which only donated 7 per cent of its “fair share contribution”.

Barry Andrews, chief executive of Goal, agrees that many nations have failed to honour their pledges of support.

“This is the worst humanitarian crisis of our era,” said Mr Andrews. “People are abandoning Syria for good because they don’t see any future.”

Mr Andrew warned in the coming years people would look back on the Syrian crisis in the same manner people reflect on the Balkans conflict in the early 1990s.

“The facts are there, we know the figures and they’re appalling. We will be writing about Syria and be nostalgic about it, like with Bosnia.

“We have to acknowledge there is no political resolution on the horizon and talk about providing refuge for these vulnerable people.”