Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 26 April 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence

Barriers Facing Those Returning to Live in Ireland: Discussion

Ms Aileen Leonard Dibra:

Mr. Staunton had to leave because he is catching a flight. The Indecon report was published and we read it. There was a laundry list of things to be addressed and we are still discussing some of those things, as Mr. Staunton would highlight were he here. The main thing is the planned return. Our colleagues at Crosscare Migrant Project referred to this strongly and we would agree. Not everybody can be a planned return, but what can be done ahead of time to make that as seamless as possible? The overall theme that I pick up, and Ms Kennelly, being the executive director, ED, of one of the centres would agree, is that it is much easier to handle things upfront and ahead of time as much as possible to make the transition back seamless. There is the emotional side of it, which Deputy Stanton was very keen to discuss further and on which our friends at Crosscare Migrant Project have done some research, and we see it regularly through our centres to keep in touch with people who have come home. It is a case of what we can do ahead of time and those lists of things so that it is a planned and seamless return. That will alleviate some of the social and emotional things, or at least ease them. Does Ms Kennelly agree? Would she like to comment?

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