LAST UPDATE | 19 Jun

SINN FÉIN HAS been heavily criticised for its opposition to extending temporary protection to those fleeing the war in Ukraine, with a Ukrainian charity arguing its position is “heartless and inhumane”.

Last week, the party’s migration spokesperson Matt Carthy said the government’s decision to support a planned extension to the temporary protection directive until March 2027 was a “mistake”. 

The Cavan Monaghan TD said it is “now time to treat those fleeing war in Ukraine the same as all others fleeing war and persecution”.  

He argued that a person who benefits from temporary protection should be supported to return to Ukraine, if they are from a part of the country that is “found to be safe” and that there should be a return to “ordinary, permanent immigration rules which apply to all other states”.

Responding to Sinn Féin’s stance, one of the founders of Ukrainian Action, a charity in Ireland, said it was a “very irresponsible” and “heartless” position held by the main opposition party.

Anatoliy Prymakov said that while it is true that some parts of Ukraine have been targeted more by Russia than others, it is a “very irresponsible and heartless thing to say that parts of Ukraine are safe”.

“Russians have been known to target residential districts, maternity wards, children’s hospitals and even funerals to exert maximum damage on the civilian population as part of their terror campaign of bombardment of Ukraine.

“Because of that, there is simply no guarantee that Russians will not target a specific city in Ukraine tomorrow, simply to murder civilians, as they have been doing since 2014,” Prymakov said.

He added:

“Such statements hurt Ukrainians and are not productive, nor do they help with problems faced by Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection and Irish communities supporting those Ukrainians.”

In a statement to The Journal this evening, Carthy defended his party’s position.

“There is nothing heartless or inhumane about what Sinn Féin is proposing in relation to ending the temporary protection directive,” Carthy said.

“This was introduced as a temporary measure at the start of the war in Ukraine and is now set to be in place for 5 years. This has significant public policy and financial implications, yet government again agreed to this at EU level without any public debate or even informing the Dáil.”

Carthy added that the directive also “leaves those who fled Ukraine with a lot of uncertainty about their future”.

He added: “The EU, too late I would argue, has recognised that there must be a plan for the ending of TPD. Unsurprisingly, that should include supporting those who wish to return to Ukraine where it is safe to do so.”

Sinn Féin’s position was also criticised by Green Party leader and former Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman who said moving thousands of Ukrainians living in Ireland into the international protection process would be “completely unworkable”. 

He said it would “entirely swamp a system that is already struggling”.

“There is still a full-scale war taking place in Ukraine, so it is appropriate that we extend the temporary protection directive to provide support for Ukrainians here in Ireland and across Europe,” he added.

Extension of current system

The Temporary Protection Directive, a legal framework for hosting people displaced by war in Ukraine, was extended last year until March 2026.

Earlier this month, the EU proposed extending the right for four million Ukrainians to stay in the bloc until 2027.

The European Commission has urged EU governments to look at longer-term solutions, such as residency, work and student permits and visas.

Governments in the EU have also been encouraged to set up programmes to promote voluntary return programmes to Ukraine. 

To offer a more stable and lasting perspective beyond temporary protection, the Commission has also proposed a set of measures to prepare a coordinated transition out of temporary protection. 

It is expected that integration into host countries and facilitating a smooth return to Ukraine will be promoted, with information hubs to be set up to provide guidance on integration and return options.