President Michael D Higgins has called for Ireland to adopt a "spirit of hospitality" towards people seeking to come to the country for "protection and shelter for themselves and their families".
In his annual Christmas and New Year message, President Higgins said Ireland had its own history of emigration and "journeys of leavings and exile".
“Today many people turn to us, their fellow global citizens, for protection and shelter for themselves and their families, and for the provision of hope for a better future,” he said.
“Do we dismiss them from our door, telling them there is no room at our inn, or do we greet them in a spirit of hospitality bearing in mind the history of emigration that is such a defining characteristic of the Irish people?” he asked.
The seasonal message referenced the story of Mary and Joseph “seeking refuge” in Bethlehem being told repeatedly, “no room at the inn”.
His message comes at the end of a year where the location of direct provision centres to house asylum seekers in rural communities became a source of major political controversy. Several communities have protested proposed centres leading to plans to open the accommodation being paused or abandoned.
The direct provision system has been under intense strain for much of the last year due to an increase in the number of people applying for asylum in Ireland, and difficulties faced by those granted asylum status leaving the accommodation system due to the wider housing crisis.
President Higgins also heavily focused on the need to tackle climate change in his seasonal message.
“Throughout 2019 the need for collective action against climate change and biodiversity loss became ever more evident,” he said.
“The year has ended with a clear message from scientists that we must do much more to avoid catastrophe. It was uplifting to witness our younger generation demonstrate their willingness to play their part in the collective action that is necessary,” he said.
What action on climate change?
President Higgins said governments had a key role in “leading the necessary change”, but tackling climate change would require the world to act as a “global community”.
Mr Higgins previously criticised US president Donald Trump’s decision to leave the 2015 Paris accord, which set targets for countries to reduce emissions, as “regressive and pernicious” on the eve of Mr Trump’s visit to Ireland in June this year.
“As we begin a new year, let us determine to reduce our carbon footprint and become more aware of how our actions can damage our planet’s fragile biodiversity,” said Mr Higgins.
“What may seem small individual actions can make a big impact cumulatively on our carbon emissions,” he said.
