Irish urged to house ‘refugees’ in their spare rooms

by Dr. Eowyn

Virginia Hale reports for Breitbart, May 16, 2018, that the Irish Red Cross has launched a national campaign urging homeowners in Ireland to “put empty space to better use” by pledging to house “migrants” in their spare beds, spare rooms, second homes or any vacant properties for periods of up to a year as part of the government’s Irish Refugee Protection Program:

“Pledging a vacant property or spare room will play a significant and valuable role in helping Syrian refugees rebuild their lives and settle in Irish communities.”

Any asylum seeker or refugee housed through the scheme would be given a caseworker who provides them with education, healthcare, and employment support, explains the Irish Red Cross on its website.

Founded by Dublin nurse Elizabeth O’Herrin in 1939, the Irish Red Cross is administering the Refugee Protection Program as part of Ireland’s effort to resettle 4,000 asylum seekers from camps in Greece and Italy.

The Irish Red Cross and Irish media used the “success” story of Mary O’Reillyto propagandize the refugee resettlement program.

O’Reilly claims to being “enriched” by her decision to welcome a 26-year-old Syrian man named Wassim into her home looking out onto Dublin Bay. She told Dublin Live that Wassim has become “like one of the family”:

“I have a house here with a spare room and I heard somebody say — and it was so true — the only difference between them and us is luck and it is, it’s just luck. Maybe it’s just me, maybe it’s my nature, but lots of people take in an Irish person. What’s the difference, are we not all the same?

I love different cultures. I went to Cuba this year. I love travelling and I would love to have gone to Damascus, but now I have this culture come and live with me.

If there’s one downside to having Wassim stay with me it’s that he gets on a little too well with Lolly, my Tibetan terrier. It’s double the tidbits for her.”

A similar appeal was made in 2015. In that campaign, although hundreds of free rooms and vacant homes were pledged, only 88 translated into actual accommodation for migrants, with many people withdrawing their offers once they were contacted by the Irish Red Cross.