The parish priest of Ireland's only Christian Orthodox Church has supported the suggestion by the Catholic bishops' committee on asylum-seekers and refugees that asylum-seekers already here be accepted and allowed work.
Father Ireneu Craciun of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation at Arbour Hill, Dublin, said he also opposed the Government's policy of dispersing refugees and asylum-seekers throughout the State. Father Ireneu is Romanian and has been parish priest at the church since 1981. He became an Irish citizen in 1988.
He said his congregation had grown from about 30 to several thousand in recent years.
More than 800 of the congregation, mostly young men and women from eastern Europe, attended the lengthy Easter Vigil service at the tiny church, from 10 p.m. on Saturday until 12:45 a.m. yesterday. Today is Easter Monday in the Christian Orthodox tradition.
Father Ireneu called on the Government to grant an amnesty to asylum-seekers already here.
"People have gone through a great deal of sacrifice and suffering to get here," he said. "They saw Ireland as a light at the end of a tunnel. I know many, many who should be granted residency and who should be able to travel." He said many had been in Ireland for some time while their applications were being processed or as decisions were being awaited on appeals. Some had set up homes and were working.
Pointing to Ireland's experience of emigration, he said people "should be reminded of the past history of Ireland and perhaps be more open". He sympathised with the Government, saying he believed it had been unprepared for the influx of refugees and asylum-seekers and had been overwhelmed by the situation. However, he felt more could be done to educate Irish people about immigrants. Father Ireneu also said depression among immigrants had not been addressed. Many immigrants did not speak English, and there was no structure to help them communicate, he said.
Immigrants had lost almost everything in getting to Ireland and now were losing their sense of identity, even their faith, he explained.
Dispersal would exaggerate those problems. They liked to be together as they often had nothing else left, he said. He also complained that his community was failing to get recognition at a national level.
He felt it would be helpful if Orthodox followers new to Ireland were alerted to the existence of the church in Arbour Hill, as a possible focal point for faith and identity.
As it is, very many of such people did not know the Church of the Annunciation even existed, he felt.
