Not all Ukrainian refugees may want to return home if war ends, briefing document says

by that-irish-guy

23 comments
  1. >The document, prepared for Minister for Justice Helen McEntee last May, analysed the situation and potential repatriation of refugees in the context of the Balkan conflict in the 1990s. […]
    >
    >The briefing document, published on Monday, noted there were 1.2 million recorded refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Between 1996 and 2005, 40 per cent had returned.

    This is not at all surprising. in the case of former Yugoslavia, the country was devastated after the war, and those who had fled realised that – all things considered – it would be easier to settle in a country that didn’t have mines in the fields, and where services were running without issue.

  2. We don’t have to assume they don’t want to go back. It’s as simple as they don’t get a choice unless they married an Irish citizen.

  3. Probably because going home means returning to a pile of rubble to many of them. I wouldn’t be super excited either.

  4. I can think of a few Irish nationals we could send over in their place and we could keep the Ukrainians.

  5. Hardly a surprise. Some will put down roots through work or romance. Some might just like the knowledge that they are a continent away from Russia.

  6. Not surprising given the social welfare here weekly is better than monthly salary in Ukraine. Also many are in 4 star hotels in scenic locations. Far better than living in a crowd 20 story flat in country with one of the lowest standards of living in Europe.

  7. Setting aside the fact that Ukraine is recently ravaged by war, which I know is hard to do.

    But, beyond that, if your kids are in school here, maybe playing sports, you’ve made friends and support networks, there are employment opportunities here, the weather isn’t too bad, then why would you want to go back to Ukraine?

  8. Obviously, although plenty are welcome to stay in my view – but this should’ve been factored in when they decided not to have a cap on newcomers under the assumption it would be “temporary.”

    The degradation of availability of services is here to stay.

  9. Well their temporary protection is time limited, at which point they can either :
    – apply for international protection
    – get a work permit
    – be deported

    I’m sure Helen has a well thought out plan

  10. Why would they want to return to either

    * a) Russia

    or

    * b) A nuclear wasteland.

  11. Yeah no shit.

    If Ireland got decimated would you want to return home? Sure there’s already people leaving in droves and never returning home as it is and always has been.

  12. Who could have guessed? Permanent housing crisis forever.

  13. There’s a lot of small towns that have had a rejuvenation with this crisis and they’d be a loss if most went back.

  14. It’s a poor country where water or electricity is not guaranteed everywhere so yeah, shocker.

  15. Yeah that’s normal. You move your family miles away, spend ages adjusting, becoming accustomed to the place, making connections. Why would you return? especially if what was yours is gone.

  16. They’re hard working and decent people, and if they stay they’ll help to pay the right-wingers dole.

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