Irish website gets more than 1,000 pledges to house refugees

A website calling on people to “pledge a bed” for refugees and migrants had more than 1,000 offers of accommodation, in 28 counties across the island, within three hours of starting its campaign yesterday, according to its administrators.

Uplift.ie hosts a range of campaigns on human-rights issues. The sites’s founder, Siobhán O’Donoghue, said a pledge did not necessarily mean a commitment but it was a means of “ordinary people showing the humanity and decency that our politicians are too cowardly to.

“ People have really found their voice on this. The images we are seeing, people cannot sit and do nothing any more. There is a hunger to do something to help and this is a powerful way of showing solidarity”.

Asked how potential hosts would be assessed, she said that would have to be worked out but “this is a start”.

Uplift is also calling on people around the country to gather at suitable sites at 1pm tomorrow in solidarity with the thousands of people fleeing the conflict in Syria, as well as other refugees and migrants.

An event will take place at the Famine memorial, at Custom House Quay, Dublin, at 1pm.

Glenn Fitzpatrick, a community activist, is organising an event at 1pm at Electric Picnic tomorrow, calling for an end to direct provision and in solidarity with refugees.

Fundraising projects

Fundraising projects are also under way across the country. Among the largest is Cork-to-Calais, which has raised €16,000 at gofundme.com.

It inspired collections across the country, of clothes, medical supplies, toiletries and toys, to be brought to Calais at the end of the month.

Thousands of migrants and refugees are camped at the French port from where they hope to get to Britain.

Elaine Mernagh, co-ordinator of Cork-to-Calais, said collections were being made at Waterford, Limerick, Wicklow, Dublin and Northern Ireland.

These would be brought to Cork. She said Stena Line ferries had offered to help transport the supplies and a transport company had offered a truck.

They were liaising with L’auberge des migrants, an NGO in Calais.

Cork-to-Calais will hold a fundraiser at An Spailpín Fánach bar, in Cork, tonight at 8.30, she said, and another was planned in a fortnight.