The news on Monday night came after Ireland, which already hosts over 43,000 Ukrainians, ran out of beds designated for fresh Ukrainian immigrants as they were occupied by refugees from other countries.

As a result, dozens of Ukrainians, mostly women, and children, who've already landed in Ireland on July 14 have now been lying on the floor of an empty Dublin Airport facility. They will be provisionally housed at an Irish Army-erected tent town north of Dublin starting July 9.

However, the United Kingdom will not get affected by the new policy. It will suspend visa-free entry for refugees from 20 additional countries, including the Czech Republic, Belgium, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Liechtenstein, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Council of Europe's Declaration on the Abolition of Visas for Refugees

All of the countries, including Ireland, had signed the Council of Europe's Declaration on the Abolition of Visas for Refugees, a 1960 treaty that permits anybody seeking refugee status in one signatory country to move without the need for a visa to other signatory countries for up to 3 months. The agreement gives members the right to cease activities. Ireland is the one to do so.

Ireland's Foreign Minister Simon Coveney stated that "the reform will aid in the protection of Ukrainians and others escaping violence, as it would reduce the incidence of exploitation of this system."

The Stance of Refugee Right Groups

On the other hand, Refugee rights groups have slammed the plan. According to Nick Henderson, C.E.O of the Irish Refugee Council, the original agreement allowed separated families to visit each other. He claimed that the new policy was "disproportionate and regressive," and therefore, it was "in sharp contradiction to the right of free travel for EU nationals."

Statistics of Ukrainian Migration

According to reports, around 6.7 million Ukrainians had fled the conflict, travelling to the EU, whereas 3 million have returned home. In the European Union, 3.7 million people filed for temporary protection.

Moreover, According to the UN refugee agency, over 5 million Ukrainians have already been forced to evacuate their nation in less than two months since Russia's aggression, resulting in an unparalleled refugee catastrophe.

Statement of the Irish Government on the Situation

According to the Irish Government, despite limited room, they will continue to accept more Ukrainians. "We have no plans to reduce the number of people," Deputy Minister Leo Varadkar stated last week. Varadkar stated that Ireland might see 100,000 people arrive this year from Ukraine and abroad.

Final Words

Governments should work efficiently on bringing the Ukrainian refugees to their homeland as it is a dire need. Also, citizens of countries where Ukrainians are seeking refuge should voluntarily take part in arranging residences for them to ease their life up to some extent.