merrion street

•  The Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative (GRSI) has chosen Ireland as the first recipient of its International Award
• The award recognises the success of the Community Sponsorship Ireland programme.
• Under the programme, community groups assist a family and provide the supports and friendship needed to find a safe and welcoming refuge in a community
• All participating families have been declared as refugees by UNHCR prior to their arrival in Ireland

The Minister of State with special responsibility for Equality, Immigration and Integration, David Stanton TD, has welcomed the decision by The Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative (GRSI) to give its first “International Award” to Ireland’s Community Sponsorship Programme.

The programme involves community groups assisting refugee families in accessing services upon their arrival in a town or area. It ensures that these groups provide not only supports, but most importantly friendship and a warm welcome.

Speaking this week about the GRSI’s decision to recognise Ireland in this way, the Minister said:

I am delighted that the GRSI has chosen Ireland as the first recipient of this award. It recognises the hard work and dedication of individuals and groups across the community sponsorship programme. Community sponsorship has made a tremendous contribution to the integration of refugee families who have come to Ireland under the resettlement scheme.

The Minister continued:

I feel very passionate about this initiative and I want to acknowledge the valuable advice and guidance I received from Canadian and British policy makers when I was examining how best to establish a scheme in Ireland. 

Above all, those who provide support to the families under the scheme are true examples of the values of welcome and friendship that are so central to Irish life. I would like to thank everyone who has helped to make the programme such a success and to congratulate them on this wonderful international recognition.

The GRSI award acknowledges the many contributions Irish stakeholders from throughout the system have made, both in the implementation of the first phase of the Irish community sponsorship programme and in sharing expertise with others.

The Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) was established by a government decision in September 2015 as Ireland’s response to the migration crisis in Europe. The Programme aimed to take in 4,000 refugees via a number of different mechanisms.  

Community Sponsorship Ireland (CSI) was established in 2018 as a complementary resettlement stream to the traditional state-centred model for refugees.  The unique feature of the programme is to provide private citizens and community-based organisations an opportunity to directly support a refugee family.