The first group of evacuees from Afghanistan arrives in Ireland this evening

The first group of Afghan refugees to be accepted into Ireland will arrive at Dublin Airport this evening.

Less than 10 people are scheduled to land at Dublin Airport following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, and more are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

It was confirmed last week that Ireland will offer up to 150 additional humanitarian visas to Afghans under the Irish Refugee Protection Program (IRPP).

This is in addition to the 45 visas already approved in recent days for Afghans in similar circumstances.

A government spokesperson has not confirmed whether the first batch that will arrive at one of the state’s Emergency Reception and Orientation Centers (EROCs) will be brought in.

EROCs are mainly used to absorb Syrian arrivals under the Irish Refugee Protection Program (IRPP).

Since the Taliban’s seizure of power, the Ministry of Equality has been working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to identify suitable accommodation for refugees arriving in Ireland with more details expected over the coming days.

This comes after a number of human rights organizations called on the government last week to increase the number of resettlement places for Afghan refugees and expedite international protection requests amid the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan.

The Irish Refugee Council, Amnesty International and the Movement for Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI), among others, said Ireland must commit to resettling at least 1,000 Afghan refugees and participating in the EU’s wider resettlement scheme.