Ireland is rolling out a controversial new plan that offers migrant families up to €10,000 if they voluntarily abandon their asylum applications and return to their home countries. The move comes as the nation grapples with a chronic housing shortage and increasing pressure on its asylum system.
Under the revised Voluntary Return Programme, asylum seekers who lack permission to remain in Ireland can now receive €2,500 per person, capped at €10,000 per family, to support their journey back home. The measure applies to applicants who filed before September 28 and are still awaiting a decision on their status.
The scheme mirrors similar initiatives in other countries, such as the UK, where rejected migrants are offered up to £3,000 to leave.
However, not everyone is on board. Critics from the Social Democrats branded the payout as a “right-wing dog whistle dressed up as efficiency.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin defended the policy, insisting the criticism was “excessive” and “misplaced.” He argued that the plan is both practical and humane, helping individuals who are unlikely to secure asylum while also easing financial and housing pressures on the state.
“If people are seeking asylum, and in their heart of hearts know that they are not going to receive it, it could be economic migrants or whatever, the idea of giving people a helping hand to return or to be integrated to where they return to makes sense to me,” Martin said.
