THE Department of Children and Integration have issued over 200 letters to Ukrainian refugees living in emergency accommodation asking them to move.
This comes in the wake of a request made in February by this same group of asylum seekers to stay in their current accommodation until their children finish the academic school year in summer.
The department initially seemed compliant with the request, pausing the move order for three weeks. New letters were sent out yesterday, however, informing the residents of a student accommodation site in Dublin city centre that they would have two days to pack up and leave.
The department also stated that due to the large numbers of asylum seekers coming into the country, they could not facilitate specific requests for certain locations or types of accommodation.
Dublin City Community Cooperative has been working closely with Ukrainian refugees, and stated that there was a suggestion in the letter that parents seperate from their the children. The group says it hopes the statement was made in error.
The majority of migrants being moved from Dublin City will be given new accommodation in Co. Kildare, though some have been told that they will be resettled at facilities in Swords and Bray, Co. Wicklow.
A spokesperson for Minister Norma Foley, whose responsibility it is to oversee the order before integration matters are folded into the Department of Justice, said that the student accommodation provider informed the department of the need for renovation work to the building. This, he said, was the reason that the refugees are being moved at this time.
“As a result, beneficiaries of temporary protection will be relocated from the student accommodation in the next days. Anyone who wishes to avail of follow-on State funded accommodation will be provided with accommodation,” the spokesperson said.