The Sanctuary Runners is reiterating its call for the Government to roll out the new Migrant Integration Strategy. Since the last integration strategy expired at the end of 2021 there has been no national integration strategy in place. Public contributions were sought for the new strategy in 2023 but there has been no visible progress
The Sanctuary Runners is reiterating its call for the Government to roll out the new Migrant Integration Strategy.
Since the last integration strategy expired at the end of 2021 there has been no national integration strategy in place. Public contributions were sought for the new strategy in 2023 but there has been no visible progress since that time.
In last January’s new Programme for Government, the Government pledged to deliver a new migrant integration strategy. However, in September, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said it won’t now be complete until 2026 at the earliest.
Sanctuary Runners CEO Anna Pringle said the need for a holistic Migrant Integration Strategy is absolutely vital now and the delays of this government, and of the previous government, to deliver on this commitment, is very worrying.
“It’s been four years since Ireland last had a national integration strategy, and by the time it will be delivered it will be five years, if the government sticks to its latest proposed timeline. This is totally unacceptable at a time when there are attacks on people who have come to Ireland and when some are weaponising the issue of immigration for their own political purposes. This is the time for clear leadership on this issue.”
“It is extremely disappointing that the last government sought public contributions to the new strategy in 2023 and here we are, almost three years later, and there is still no strategy in place”.
In January of this year, in the weeks before the formation of the current government, a large delegation of Sanctuary Runners travelled to the gates of Leinster House to call on the government to deliver an integration strategy which involved all members of the community, not just those moving to Ireland from other countries.
“Integration is a two-way street,” said Anna Pringle, who took up her position as CEO of Sanctuary Runners this week, adding “we see the power of integration every day. We are building those bridges in more than 40 communities across Ireland, as are other voluntary groups. Any new strategy needs to take the onus off the migrant to integrate and make it all of our responsibility.”
