Links

Irish NGOs

VRC - The Vincentian Refugee Centre provides services for people seeking asylum, refugees and people with permission to remain in the State.

RIS, the Refugee Information Service was established to (i) provide a specialist information, advice, advocacy, and referral service for refugees and asylum-seekers; (ii) support the work of community groups and the network of CICs who come into contact with refugees and asylum-seekers; (iii) provide information to the general public by way of training sessions; workshops etc.

Refugee and Migrant Project of the Irish Catholoic Bishops is in ongoing discussion with various statutory and other bodies on a range of issues relating to rights and entitlements of people seeking asylum, refugees and migrants. 

RAG, the Refugee Action Group, was set up in 2001. RAG is a coalition of NGOs, voluntary sector organisations, refugees and individuals with an interest in refugee issues in Northern Ireland. The aim of the group is to be an independent voice advocating on asylum and refugee issues, and to be supportive to the refugee and asylum-seeking community in Northern Ireland.

OPEN, the national network of local lone parent self-help groups represents the diversity of interests of lone parents (particularly those living in/or at risk of living in poverty) and promotes their inclusion and progression within wider society.

NCP, the New Communities Partnership, is a national network of ethnic minority organisations that have come together to support our communities through a strategic alliance with other ethnic groups. Their aim is for ethnic minority organisations and community leaders to work together to address the underlying causes of the difficulties that new communities in Ireland are facing: racism; discrimination; unemployment and obstacles to employment; poor housing and accommodation; access to public services. The Partnership also works to build the capacity of minority ethnic communities to engage with service planners and providers in meeting the needs of a multicultural Ireland.

Nasc, the Irish Immigrant Support Centre, is a non-Governmental organisation that seeks to respond to the needs of immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers. It is based in Cork City, Ireland. Nasc's vision is to contribute to an environment of social inclusion for all communities, based on the principles of equality, social justice and human rights.

Irish Red Cross works both at home in Ireland and in countries overseas which have been damaged by wars or natural disasters.

Integrating Ireland is an independent network of community and voluntary groups working in mutual solidarity to promote and realise the human rights, equality and full integration in Irish society of asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants.  Includes a useful page of links to its member group sites

ICCL, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, an independent human rights watchdog, which monitors, educates and campaigns in order to secure full enjoyment of human rights for everyone.

Focus Ireland aims to advance the right of people-out-of-home to live in a place they call home through quality services, research, and advocacy.

FLAC is an independent human rights organisation dedicated to the realisation of equal access to justice for all. To this end it campaigns on a range of legal issues but also offers some basic, free legal services to the public.

DORAS Luimni is an independent non-governmental organization which was set up in 2000 in response to a need in the Limerick region to provide asylum seekers, refugees and migrants with sanctuary and support.

Comhlámh is a member and supporter organisation open to anyone interested in social justice, human rights and global development issues. It connects, informs, educates and campaigns on these matters. Comhlámh has activist groups and initiatives made up of volunteers from the public in the areas of Trade Justice, Anti-Racism, Focus magazine and Options and Issues in Development and we run regular courses and training workshops for the public and development workers alike.

Clare Immigrant Support Centre provides support services to Asylum Seekers, Refugees and the broader immigrant communities in Clare

 

Amnesty International Irish Section: Amnesty International’s vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. 

Akidwa, is an authoritative, minority ethnic-led national network of African and migrant women living in Ireland. it was established in August 2001 by a group of African women to address the needs of an expanding population of African and migrant women resident in Ireland.  AkiDwA’s advocacy approach is based on strengthening migrant women’s voice, applying a gender perspective to policies and practices and the promotion of equality of migrant women in Irish society, free of gender and racial stereotyping.

Africa Centre was founded in the year 2000 by a group of activists in the African immigrant community who wanted the community to have a voice and promote their active participation in Irish society.

Access Ireland Cultural Mediation Project

SPIRASI is a humanitarian, intercultural, non-governmental organisation that works with asylum seekers, refugees and other disadvantaged migrant groups, with special concern for survivors of torture. In partnership with others, SPIRASI enables access to specialist services to promote the well-being of the human person, and encourages self-reliance and integration into Ireland.

 

Government

RLS, the Refugee Legal Service, is a specialised office established by the Legal Aid Board to provide confidential and independent legal services to persons applying for asylum in Ireland.

RIA, the Reception and Integration Agency, is responsible for coordinating the provision of services to both asylum seekers and refugees, coordinating the implementation of integration policy for all refugees and persons granted leave to remain in the State and responding to crisis situations which result in large numbers of refugees arriving in Ireland within a short period of time.

ORAC: Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner

INIS, The Irish Naturalisation & Immigration Service provides a ‘one stop shop’ in relation to asylum, immigration, citizenship and visas.and facilitates a whole of government approach to immigration and asylum issues.  

 

Media and Communications

The Forum on Migration and Communications (FOMACS) is a collaborative public media project, producing film, photographic, digital storytelling, radio, animation and print stories on the topic of immigration and integration in Ireland, with the aim of reaching and engaging diverse audiences.

Metro Eireann is a weekly multicultural newspaper set up by two Nigerian journalists, Chinedu Onyejelem and Abel Ugba in April 2000. Apart from supplying up-to-date news and analysis, metro eireann has become a forum for inter-cultural communication, showcasing the rich cultural diversity of Ireland.

African Voice newspaper was established with the aim of promoting cultural diversity and integration through the media in Ireland.  The newspaper particularly focuses on African and African-Irish people in Ireland, along with more general news coverage.  Every issue of The African Voice brings you features stories, columns, news briefs, profiles, sports and more.

 

European and International

Welsh Refugee Council

United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Irish Representation works with government as well as civil society partners to support the building of the asylum system. The Representation carries out the mandate of UNHCR to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees in cooperation with the authorities.

United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country.

Scottish Refugee Council

JRS - the Jesuit Refugee Service is an international Catholic organisation with a mission to accompany, serve and defend the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced people.

Immigration Law Practitioners' Association (UK)

ECRE members across Europe

ECRE (European Council on Refugees and Exiles) is a pan-European network of 69 refugee-assisting non-governmental organisations that promotes a humane and generous European asylum policy. The Irish Refugee Council is an active member of ECRE.

British Refugee Council

Asylum Aid UK