AN IRISH ADVOCACY organisation calling on people to “pledge a bed” for refugees and migrants has received over 6,000 offers since launching the campaign yesterday.
Uplift said the pledge does not constitute a definite commitment but that it is a “powerful way of showing solidarity”.
Over 28,000 people have also signed the group’s online petition calling on Taoiseach Enda Kenny “to commit to allowing thousands not hundreds of refugees seek refuge in Ireland”.
Uplift is organising solidarity vigils for refugees at Electric Picnic and the Dublin famine memorial at Custom House Quay tomorrow.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland progamme today, Minister Frances Fitzgerald said Ireland could take in over 1,800 refugees in response to the worsening humanitarian crisis.
“I think there is a very big movement across Ireland of people who want to contribute to our NGOs, who we are going to be meeting next week,” she said, when asked about the Uplift campaign.
She added, however, that goodwill will need to be balanced with what she said is “practical and sustainable”, citing the number of people in direct provision who still have no access to long-term accommodation.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees today called on EU members to admit up to 200,000 refugees as part of a binding “mass relocation programme”.
“The situation requires a massive common effort that is not possible with the current fragmented approach,” the agency said.
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