Around 1,800 Ukrainian refugees have already arrived in Ireland since the outbreak of war, the Government has confirmed.
It comes as the Irish Red Cross, working with the Government, launched an online system allowing people to register offers of accommodation for Ukrainian refugees.
More than 2,420 pledges to accommodate refugees have been made by the public to date, according to a report in The Irish Times.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said on Monday morning that around 1,800 people from Ukraine have arrived in Ireland since Russia invaded.
He said that 486 refugees arrived on Sunday and while around two-thirds of people have family connections in Ireland, that proportion is falling as the crisis escalates.
“More and more who don’t have connections with families in Ireland are arriving and it is fair to say we can expect that to increase significantly over the coming weeks,” Mr Martin told Newstalk.
“This is a major humanitarian crisis on the continent of Europe and the response to that will have to be outside of the norm.
“This is an exceptional humanitarian crisis brought about by war and it is a wartime situation, and therefore our responses have to be different to a non-wartime situation,” Mr Martin said.
Countries prepare
As the world responds to the assault on Ukraine by Vladimir Putin, countries in Europe are preparing for a surge in refugees.
The United Nations announced over the weekend that more than 1.5 million people have fled Ukraine.
The Irish Government, alongside the Red Cross, have launched a new portal where Irish people can make offers of support and accommodation for Ukrainian refugees.
Minister for Equality Roderic O’Gorman said that all offers are “hugely welcome”.
🇮🇪🇺🇦 Ireland stands in solidarity with all those fleeing Ukraine.
Today, my Department, working with the @irishredcross has launched a national accommodation pledge portal to register potential accommodation for Ukrainian refugees.
Full details: https://t.co/C29GjSWdVw— Roderic O’Gorman TD (@rodericogorman) March 7, 2022
“It’s important that people are aware that not all offers may be called upon immediately.
“In thanking people for coming forward, I would also ask for patience as we scale up what will be an enormous logistical response.”
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly also said that Ireland would provide medical cards and access to healthcare to those fleeing the war.
He suggested that the Government was working on the assumption that a “very, very large number” Ukrainians could come to Ireland for refuge.
The accommodation pledges came on a day of drama at the Russian embassy, after a man was arrested after a large lorry crashed into its gates in Dublin.
The incident provoked an angry response from the embassy, with a spokeswoman accusing gardaí of standing “idle” as the incident took place. The embassy has also accused Ireland of breaching the Vienna Convention by not protecting the premises from any damage.
