A county-by-county breakdown of Ukrainian refugees and applicants for international protection published by the Irish Independent today shows Donegal’s refugee population is two and a half times the national average.
Donegal has the second highest number of Ukrainian refugees in the country after Kerry, with 3,956.
There are 1,913 international protection applicants in Donegal, the highest figure outside Dubin. That gives a combined total of 5,869.
That’s the third highest figure in the state, after Kerry and South Dublin. The paper is stressing that these figures come from Minister Roderick O’Gorman, and only show Ukrainians who are in accommodation commissioned by his department, and asylum-seekers who are housed by the International Protection Accommodation Service.
There are no figures for the unhoused and homeless, or those renting or involved in accommodation gifted by individuals.
The figures were initially sought by Aontu leader Peadar Toibin, a European Election candidate in the Midlands North West constituency.
He says it’s clear from these figures that there is still a significant regional imbalance in the distribution of immigrants into the country, with far more immigrants per capita in the western counties than in the east.
He adds Kerry has taken four times per capita the national average on Ukrainians, and Donegal two-and-a-half times.
You can read the full Irish Independent story HERE
Screenshots taken from the Irish Independent
