By Dionne Meehan
UP TO 80 Ukrainian refugees living in Ramelton are facing eviction in the mouth of Christmas as the Department of Equality and Integration continue to end contracts with smaller accommodation providers throughout the county.
The refugees, living in Oakwell Holiday Village and The Tanyard premises in Ramelton, received letters last week asking them to vacate their accommodation by December 11.
The news has been met with uproar from some members of the local community. One local business owner said to move Ukrainian families from their homes before Christmas “is inhumane”.
Just a few months ago, Ukrainian refugees staying in the Mulroy Woods Hotel, Church Road and the old National Irish Bank premises in Milford, also received eviction letters.
Local councillor Declan Meehan is among those to voice concern at the development.
Speaking to the Donegal News, he said: “The only umbrage I have with that is that the people who were moved from Milford, a lot of them, were moved to smaller centres across Donegal. Some of them are in Glencolmcille, Ardara and Letterkenny.”
Cllr Meehan said since the news broke about the Ukrainians in Ramelton, he has been inundated with calls from members of the community and local national schools, who are very concerned about their students.
“They are very concerned about their students that they’ve gotten to know over the past number of years, being uprooted for the sake of whatever this government policy is aimed at doing,” Cllr Meehan said.
“It is not clear what the benefits of this policy are for anyone and, particularly, for this to happen in the mouth of Christmas is just very frustrating.”
Cllr Meehan said the letters have been a “kick in the teeth” for the community who have done so much to make the Ukrainian community feel welcome.
“Really, what government departments want to do is prevent refugees putting down roots and integrating into communities as part of an effort to encourage them to go home,” Cllr Meehan said.
“But the reality is, an awful lot of these people in our locality, whether it is Milford or Ramelton, or anywhere else, they have no homes to go back to.
“An awful lot of the people that are in our locality are from areas that are currently under Russian control in the east and south east of Ukraine.
“These are people who are contributing to the local economy and who are contributing to the local community as well.
“It is a case where they have made Ramelton their home and they are not just recipients in that, they are contributing as well.”
Agreeing with Cllr Meehan, Roisin Llorente, from the Bridge Bar Restaurant in Ramelton spoke of the huge upset the situation has caused, not only within the Ukrainian community, but throughout the whole town.
“The whole community is just very upset about it,” she said.
“The unrest that these families have already endured is unimaginable and to evict them now, so close to Christmas, is just not right.
“It is just inhumane.”
Ms Llorente said these families have settled into the local community with grace and dignity.
“They are integrating into the community, they are coaching the local football team and they are in the afterschool club,” she said.
“It is just so upsetting for everybody, everybody you speak to just gets upset about it.”
Speaking about the common concerns surrounding the welcoming of refugees into a town, Cllr Meehan said uprooting integrated refugees could potentially lead to them being replaced with different refugees, adding fuel to the fire.
“There is obviously a lot of concern in communities when refugees come in, particularly about the burdens being placed on services and there is also, undoubtedly, an attitude out there where people don’t want to see foreign people coming into their communities,” Cllr Meehan said.
“I just don’t know what the wisdom behind this government policy is that when refugees are settled and integrated that they are being uprooted and potentially then, different refugees could come in and start the whole process all over again.
“It just contributes to that unsettling environment for people both from the local community and for the refugees themselves.
“So for me, it is a counter intuitive policy.”
Now, in the hope of getting an extension on the eviction notice until after the festive period, the public are being encouraged to make contact with Minister for Equality and Integration, Rodrick O’Gorman.
“I would encourage anyone to make contact with the minister responsible, even if it is only a short term stay so these Ukrainian people can stay until after Christmas,” Cllr Meehan said.
“Their Christmas is January 6.
“I have written to the minister myself looking for an extension to allow people to remain in situ until after January 6.”
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