Cork charity seeking help from local groups to bring Syrian families to Ireland

Nasc are looking for Cork groups to help bring Syrian families to Ireland.

Today, March 15, will mark 14 years since war broke out in Syria, and despite the fall of former leader Bashar al-Assad last year, the United Nations estimates 14m people are still in need of assistance.

An Irish charity is calling on people for help, with Nasc, the Migrant and Refugee Rights Centre, looking to bring 15 Syrian families who are currently stuck in Lebanon to Ireland.

Community sponsorship manager Majo Rivas said its community sponsorship programme is a great way for people who are feeling helpless about global events to do something practical.

“The world can feel very overwhelming right now, with ongoing wars in Ukraine and Sudan and violence still devastating Gaza and Syria,” Ms Rivas said.

“We are asking people to help in a tangible and practical way by donating their time. People or groups need to simply put themselves forward and we will do the rest.”

As well as provide training, Nasc will take care of all the paperwork and bureaucracy the family will need.

Integrate

Groups need to have at least five people to get started, and their job would be to help the Syrian family settle and integrate into the community for the first year, with tasks including picking them up from the airport, helping them set up their electricity account, or showing them around the town.

Groups could be made up of members of an active retirement group, a local church, a sports club or even a group of friends or extended family.

There is no requirement to be an expert in refugees.

The group would also need to fundraise between €8k-10k to cover the family’s initial costs such as rent, food, and items like school uniforms, and commit to finding accommodation for the family.

Aware

“Nasc is very aware there is a housing crisis in Ireland right now. But we’re hoping with the right group of people, they can use their local network to help find somewhere the family can rent and begin a new chapter after many years of trauma,” Ms Rivas said.

“When talking to Syrian families in Lebanon about coming to Ireland, the most common questions we hear from parents is ‘will my child be able to go to school?’, as many children cannot access education where they are because the families cannot afford it or children need to work to support their families.

“To then see these children go to school and tell us all about winning their camogie and hurling matches is a joy to see.”

Anyone willing to get involved or would like more information can contact Ms Rivas via email at communitysponsorship@nascireland.org.