Note: It is assumed that the definition of refugee means a person who for reasons of race, religion, nationality or political opinion is unable or unwilling to return to the territory from which he came.
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| Question 1. |
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242 refugees have been naturalised as Irish Citizens. |
| Question 2. |
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(a) |
It is not possible to give full and accurate particulars of the ‘foreign refugees who still keep their nationality’ but 6041 refugees are registered under the following nationalities: |
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| Belgian |
39 |
| Bulgarian | 3 |
| Czech | 68 |
| Dutch | 7 |
| Estonian | 44 |
| French | 31 |
| Hungarian | 25 |
| Latvian | 28 |
| Lithuanian | 21 |
| Polish | 265 |
| Romanian | 1 |
| Russian | 52 |
| Spanish | 1 |
| Ukrainian | 7 |
| Yugoslav | 12 |
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(b) |
Since the end of the war about 30 Austrians and 300 Germans have been admitted and a percentage of them came within the definition of refugee. |
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(c) |
The particulars given at (a) and (b) do not include children under 16 years of age. |
| Question 3. |
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(a) |
50 refugees are registered as ‘stateless’. |
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(b) |
Not known. |
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(c) |
The particulars given at (a) do not include children under 16 years of age. |
| Question 4. |
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The following measures have been taken to aid refugees: |
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(1) |
The Government approved in 1950 of the admission of any incapacitated displaced persons and their dependents under the care of the International Refugees Organisation for whom voluntary institutions in the State are willing to take responsibility and the Irish Red Cross Society have been asked to approach voluntary institutions and to act as a co-ordinating committee for the admission of these refugees. |
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(2) |
The Government’s policy is to admit freely refugee students whose maintenance is assured and who have guarantees of admission to other countries when their courses are completed; in addition a limited number of refugee students are admitted who have no guarantee of admission to other countries but who are financially independent during their course of studies and who will not enter into employment while studying. Two hundred and forty one (241) refugee students have been admitted to the Universities under this policy and 171 are here at present. |
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(3) |
- Since 1947 close on 1,000 refugee children have been admitted for temporary care in selected centres or in the homes of suit able persons. Over 500 Germans, over 200 Poles and over 200 Austrians were admitted. The Irish Red Cross Society were mainly responsible and the Religious Emergency Council under the leadership of the Chief Rabbi of Palestine2 were responsible for a group of 100 Jewish Polish children. Almost all of the refugee children left the State at the end of their visit.
- In addition, aged and dependent relatives of aliens established in the State are freely admitted.
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(4) |
The Government approved of the admission of any refugees and their dependants, for whom an offer of employment was obtained, at standard wages for a minimum period of 12 months, provided that any Trade Union concerned did not object. |
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(5) |
The Government recognise travel documents issued to refugees and stateless aliens under the Agreement of the Inter-Governmental Conference on the Adoption of a Travel Document for Refugees of 15th October, 1946, and under the Arrangements and Convention mentioned in Article 1 of that Agreement. The Government issue travel documents valid for return within a minimum period of 12 months to refugees and stateless aliens in the State who wish to leave: 848 such documents have been issued in the post-war period. |
| Question 5. |
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A decision of Government made in 1950 to admit incapacitated refugees under the care of the International Refugee Organisation for institutional care in voluntary institutions which are prepared to care for them permanently has resulted in the placing of two persons. Approval has also been given for about half-dozen others who have not yet arrived and other cases are pending. Resettlement grants ranging from $250 to $1,000 (American) are given by IRO to the institutions accepting incapacitated persons for permanent care. IRO established an office in 1950 but their work is now being done through the Irish Red Cross Society. |
| Question 6 & 7. |
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The numbers of refugees admitted have not created any special problems. Ireland is an emigration country. |
| Question 8. |
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About 1,000 refugees (including wives and children over 16) have been absorbed into the national economy since the end of the war. It is impossible to give any firm estimate of the number who could be absorbed in the future. As mentioned in reply to Question 4, the Government are willing to admit refugees for whom employment at standard wages is available, in the absence of objections from trade unions, but the number which can be absorbed must necessarily be small as Ireland is an emigration country. In recent years nearly 20,000 persons (or .6% of the State’s population) have emigrated each year. |
