Sir, - We welcome the recent proposals by Junior Minister Liz O'Donnell regarding the return to Kosovo of programme refugees. We praise, in particular, the option given by the Minister allowing Kosovar refugees either to remain in Ireland or to return home with funds towards the reconstruction of their houses. In addition, we are grateful for Ms O'Donnell's readiness to listen personally to the concerns of Kosovar community representatives and to try to meet their requests.
Nevertheless, and fully mindful of the uniquely generous offer from the Irish Government, we must not lose sight of the difficult personal circumstances in which the bulk of the refugees find themselves and the dilemma posed by a sudden return to Kosovo in present circumstances. So that the Irish Government's concern for the well-being of these families may be consistent with its past treatment of them here, it is vital that, in exceptional circumstances, the door to our country should not be entirely closed to them. Conditions in Kosovo - as also sadly in Bosnia - remain deeply worrying. "Fundamental labour market institutions have declined catastrophically. The land is littered with tens of thousands of burnt-out homes, businesses and institutions, infested with land mines and scarred by mass graves." (International Labour Organisation Report, Kosovo.)
We also believe that, in justice, consideration should be given to that minority of Kosovar families who have returned home before now and who are not entitled to the repatriation grant which is on offer at the moment. Why should this be the case when they face similar circumstances of extreme hardship as those now returning?
We are concerned, too, about individual cases of family reunification. The provision in the Refugee Act that children over 18 have no right to join their parents could not be considered humanitarian. Kosovars who decide to stay in Ireland surely should not be expected to remain permanently separated from family members.
Some returning Kosovars may, at a future date, wish to apply for temporary work visas in Ireland where their skills and enterprise have become highly appreciated by many Irish employers. We hope that the Irish Government will look favourably on such applications for short-term work here.
Notwithstanding some of our concerns, Ms O'Donnell's proposals are to be welcomed for as a sincere effort to alleviate at least some of the distress of Kosovar programme refugees.
We also must not forget the continuing plight of Kosovar asylum-seekers who have not won much support for their claims. Finally, great credit is due to the local Irish support networks in the various centres throughout Ireland for their grass-roots support for the Kosovars. Thanks are also due, in this regard, to the media - in particular, RTE's Paul Cunningham, Chris Dooley of The Irish Times, the Star's Edmund Burke, Barry Egan of the Sunday Independent and Sean Steele, freelance journalist. More and more such good friends of these refugees are insisting that the door be left open to vulnerable members of our former Kosovar Community in Ireland who will not be forgotten when they leave us. - Yours, etc.,
Valerie Hughes, Peter Walsh, Kosova-Ireland Solidarity, Upper Camden Street, Dublin 2.