In a complex humanitarian airlift coordinated with the World Health Organisation, Ireland has welcomed seven injured or chronically ill children from Gaza along with 29 family members. The group travelled overland to Jordan before boarding a Norwegian-supplied aircraft accompanied by an Irish medical team; they landed in Dublin on 26 October, the Department of Health confirmed today.
This is the third evacuation authorised under the Government’s 2024 pledge to treat up to 30 paediatric patients from the besieged enclave. Children’s Health Ireland will provide surgery and rehabilitation, while the Irish Red Cross is arranging housing, interpreters and psychosocial support. All visas were fast-tracked by the Department of Justice and the arrivals cleared immigration under Section 17 of the International Protection Act, which allows temporary permission on medical grounds.
For Irish hospitals the mission underscores growing use of ‘medical mobility’ corridors that bypass standard asylum procedures. Clinicians note that the children’s carers will receive temporary residence permits linked to treatment duration, setting a template that could be applied to other conflict zones. Employers should expect increased requests for compassionate leave or flexible working from staff volunteering with the programme.
Diplomatically, the operation bolsters Ireland’s reputation for humanitarian migration just weeks after it opted into seven pillars of the EU Asylum & Migration Pact. Officials say lessons learned—such as multi-agency visa processing and housing outside the regular refugee accommodation system—will feed into broader reforms aimed at easing pressure on the International Protection Accommodation Service.
This is the third evacuation authorised under the Government’s 2024 pledge to treat up to 30 paediatric patients from the besieged enclave. Children’s Health Ireland will provide surgery and rehabilitation, while the Irish Red Cross is arranging housing, interpreters and psychosocial support. All visas were fast-tracked by the Department of Justice and the arrivals cleared immigration under Section 17 of the International Protection Act, which allows temporary permission on medical grounds.
For Irish hospitals the mission underscores growing use of ‘medical mobility’ corridors that bypass standard asylum procedures. Clinicians note that the children’s carers will receive temporary residence permits linked to treatment duration, setting a template that could be applied to other conflict zones. Employers should expect increased requests for compassionate leave or flexible working from staff volunteering with the programme.
Diplomatically, the operation bolsters Ireland’s reputation for humanitarian migration just weeks after it opted into seven pillars of the EU Asylum & Migration Pact. Officials say lessons learned—such as multi-agency visa processing and housing outside the regular refugee accommodation system—will feed into broader reforms aimed at easing pressure on the International Protection Accommodation Service.
