Protesters against Russia's invasion of Ukraine take part in a rally in Dublin's O'Connell Street. PA
Protesters against Russia's invasion of Ukraine take part in a rally in Dublin's O'Connell Street. PA
Protesters against Russia's invasion of Ukraine take part in a rally in Dublin's O'Connell Street. PA
Protesters against Russia's invasion of Ukraine take part in a rally in Dublin's O'Connell Street. PA

Ireland to host 40,000 Ukrainians by May with the population growing by 1%


Laura O'Callaghan
  • English
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Ireland is expected to accommodate 40,000 Ukrainian refugees by the end of April, the deputy prime minister has said, amid a warning not to push the country “beyond its measures”.

The population of 5 million is set to jump by just under 1 per cent next month when tens of thousands more refugees fleeing the Russian invasion are expected to arrive, according to plans laid out by Leo Varadkar on Tuesday.

Micheal Carrigy, a Fine Gael senator, told The National that while Ireland’s warm welcome for Ukrainians was commendable, ministers should “be careful” about making pledges to accommodate people when the country’s public services are already overstretched.

More than 10,000 Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion have already arrived in the Republic, with many being housed in hotels, hostels and convents while they await more permanent accommodation.

Phyliss McDonagh, 87, from Dublin, pictured with Ukrainian refugees Viktoria Kasianenko, 39, (right), her four-year-old daughter Barbara Yevlakhova and step-daughter Anna Yevlakhova, 32, at her home. PA
Phyliss McDonagh, 87, from Dublin, pictured with Ukrainian refugees Viktoria Kasianenko, 39, (right), her four-year-old daughter Barbara Yevlakhova and step-daughter Anna Yevlakhova, 32, at her home. PA

The government is looking to adapt event venues and military barracks as part of a drive to provide more refugees with living space, Mr Varadkar said, as he admitted the influx would affect public services and the country’s finances.

Among the 27 EU nations, Ireland ranks 19th on the population scale, making up just 1.1 per cent of the overall number of inhabitants across the 27 member states.

Mr Carrigy, a member of the Seanad, the upper house of Ireland’s parliament, said it was time for countries across Europe and further afield to step up to the mark and take in more Ukrainians fleeing violence.

“I think we need to be careful as a country that we don’t go beyond our measures,” he told The National.

“We have a significant housing issues in our country. Housing for all is ramping up but the reality is that it’s going to take a number of years to deliver [new homes].

“I think it’s time for other countries within the EU and outside the EU to play their part.”

Earlier this month, Ireland’s Justice Minister James Browne said up to 80,000 Ukrainians could arrive in Ireland. But a figure more than double that was proposed by Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue on Tuesday.

Speaking to RTE Radio, he cited the latest UN refugee figures which show that almost 3.6 million people have fled Ukraine, and a further 6.5 million have been internally displaced.

“If, proportionately, the number that might go to Ireland coming out of that was to transpire you’d have to be in a position to plan for example potentially up to 200,000,” Mr McConalogue said.

Mr Carrigy said while accommodating 80,000 refugees would be “manageable” for Ireland, an influx of 200,000 would place an unimaginable strain on services.

“I was not expecting a figure like that, up to 200,000,” he said. “That’s a significant figure for a small country with a small population.

“I would say if that comes to pass, that number of people coming here, it would be extremely difficult for the state to manage.”

He plans to accommodate refugee children in his family home and also to host a family of Ukrainians in his late mother’s house nearby. “Our mother, God rest her, died during the Covid [pandemic]. It was her home and I know that she would say that’s the right thing to do.”

Marian Harkin, a member of the lower house of the Irish parliament, expressed scepticism that the number of Ukrainian refugees in Ireland would top 200,000.

Ms Harkin, who has also offered to host Ukrainian refugees in her home, told The National the influx would be a “huge challenge” for households and for the country as a whole. However, she insisted welcoming those fleeing the war was the correct decision, saying: “We don’t turn our face.”

“This is going to be a huge challenge. I cannot estimate the extent of it”, she said.

“If somebody had asked by six months ago if 10,000 [Ukrainian refugees] is attainable I would have said how can we do that, we have a homelessness crisis.

“We are in a war situation in Europe and the best role that we can play is to support these refugees. Most of us are no more than two or three generations from war.”

At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, attended virtually from Washington DC by Micheal Martin, Ireland’s prime minister, the government continued preparations for tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees arriving in the country in coming weeks.

Speaking on his way into cabinet, Mr Varadkar said: “What we are seeing unfolding in Mariupol are war crimes, there can be no doubt about that.

“Something we didn't think we would see again in the 21st century in Europe.”

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eamana%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karim%20Farra%20and%20Ziad%20Aboujeb%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERegulator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDFSA%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinancial%20services%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E85%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESelf-funded%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Profile of RentSher

Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE

Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi

Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE

Sector: Online rental marketplace

Size: 40 employees

Investment: $2 million

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

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Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
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Touring range: 591km
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On sale: Deliveries start in October

The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm

Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km

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On sale: now

South Africa squad

: Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wkt), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.

Ultra processed foods

- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns 

- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;

- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces

- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,

- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
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  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
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THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS

England

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur

Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus

Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid

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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

How Filipinos in the UAE invest

A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.

Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).

Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.

Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?

Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.

They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.

“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.

He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.

Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters

The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.

 Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.

A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.

The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.

The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.

Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.

Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment

But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.

Emergency phone numbers in the UAE

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

RESULT

Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Man United: Sanchez (24' ), Herrera (62')
Spurs: Alli (11')

TICKETS

For tickets for the two-day Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) event, entitled Dubai Invasion 2019, on September 27 and 28 go to www.meraticket.com.

Under 19 Cricket World Cup, Asia Qualifier

Fixtures
Friday, April 12, Malaysia v UAE
Saturday, April 13, UAE v Nepal
Monday, April 15, UAE v Kuwait
Tuesday, April 16, UAE v Singapore
Thursday, April 18, UAE v Oman

UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Aaron Benjamin, Akasha Mohammed, Alishan Sharafu, Anand Kumar, Ansh Tandon, Ashwanth Valthapa, Karthik Meiyappan, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Rishab Mukherjee, Niel Lobo, Osama Hassan, Vritya Aravind, Wasi Shah

The story in numbers

18

This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens

450,000

More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps

1.5 million

There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m

73

The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association

18,000

The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme

77,400

The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study

4,926

This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee

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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
The Africa Institute 101

Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction. 

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Top%2010%20most%20competitive%20economies
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica

Best Agent: Jorge Mendes

Best Club : Liverpool   

 Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)  

 Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker

 Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo

 Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP

 Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart

Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)

Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)

Best Women's Player:  Lucy Bronze

Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi

 Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)

 Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)

 Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs

BRAZIL%20SQUAD
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Updated: March 22, 2022, 5:24 PM`