A total of 280 unaccompanied minors arrived in Ireland seeking international protection up to August this year, new figures have shown.
The children travelled from a range of countries and are currently being accommodated by or in the care of the Tusla.
As the Irish Examiner reports, In 2022, Tusla said it received 597 referrals from all countries, including Ukraine, for unaccompanied minors who arrived in Ireland.
Since last year, 301 children have arrived from Ukraine and, of these, 227 were accommodated or received into care by Tusla.
The remaining 74 were reunified with relatives/hosts at the airport and so did not require to be taken into care.
A spokesperson for Tusla said many of the referrals relate to the early stage of the humanitarian crisis when it had a presence at the Ukraine Crisis Response Centre in Dublin Airport where a lot of referrals were received from other Government departments.
A breakdown of other countries of origin for unaccompanied minors into Ireland last year includes 39 from Afghanistan, seven from Algeria, five from Congo, six from Georgia, 48 from Somalia, 20 from Zimbabwe, and 18 from other countries. These figures involve children aged 12 to 17 years.
Tusla said its primary responsibility is to highlight the “safety and well-being of children” and that its role is to “promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection”.
The statement said: “All unaccompanied minors who arrive in Ireland are referred by Department of Justice officials to Tusla’s Team for Separated Children Seeking International Protection (SCSIP).
The priority for these children and young people is to reunify them with their families where possible, either in Ireland or in other member states.”
Tusla said where reunification was not possible, it would place the child with a foster family or in residential care.
Another avenue would be to place the child in supported lodgings that “meets their particular needs”.
However, a spokesperson said: “Adoption is not generally an option as it would impact entitlements to family reunification."
