What we do

Our work

1. We provide direct support services by phone and in person at our headquarters in Limerick, and in partnership with New Horizon in Athlone. This direct support cover all our programme areas.
2. We undertake projects in furtherance of our strategic goals, see below for a full list of our goals, across each of our programme areas.
3. We undertake advocacy and campaigning at local, national, and international level for change in policy and legislation. Read more about this in our impact report from 2022.

Our Goals

1. We uphold the rights and entitlements of refugees and migrants, and to advocate for policy changes to ensure their rights are respected and protected.
2. We promote and support the full participation of migrants in all aspects of social, economic, and political life.
3. We promote inclusiveness and equity of treatment for refugees, migrants, and people from minority communities across all sectors of society.
4. We embed principles of good governance and sustainability in everything we do.

Our work under these goals focus on six interrelated programme areas. These are:

1. Immigration and International Protection

Providing information and support to individuals on all aspects of immigration and international protection is a core part of what Doras has always done. This covers family reunification, visa applications and travel documents. We also assist international protection applicants on matters relating to reception conditions. Alongside this work we advocate for more just policies and equitable treatment of migrants, refugees, and international protection applicants.

2. Refugee Resettlement

Based on our active involvement in refugee resettlement support since 2015, we developed a toolkit to assist others working in the area. Building on this, we are

committed to helping individuals and communities come together to play an active role in the reception and integration of families and individuals resettling in Ireland.

In addition to community-based pathways we will also work towards the effective implementation of other opportunities for migration and protection including humanitarian and skill-based complementary pathways.

3. Migrant Victims of Crime

We have been providing specialised support to migrant and refugee victims of human trafficking, domestic abuse, and hate crime since 2011. In 2022, we developed and implemented a Migrant Victim Support pilot project, which built on our previous work and provides a foundation for continued specialised work in this area. We will continue to support people affected by human trafficking and provide training to service providers & frontline staff. We are also committed, through our participation in the Coalition Against Hate Crime to reform of the law, policy, and practice as it relates to hate crime in Ireland.

4. Integration and Non-Discrimination

As an organisation we promote integration and inclusion through approaches that respect and value diversity and aim to afford equal rights and opportunities to everyone by creating conditions that enable the full and active participation of every member of society. Enabling migrants’ participation in the economic, social, cultural, religious, political, and civic life of its host society is a fundamental part of what we do. It includes empowering host communities to be inclusive, engaging with employers, and supporting public bodies to uphold their duties under the Public Sector Duty. In doing so we aim to promote equality, prevent discrimination, and protect the human rights of employees, customers, service users and everyone affected by their policies and actions.

5. Education and Preparation for Employment

In our 2020 report ‘Getting Right to Work: Access to employment and decent work for International protection applicants in Ireland’ we highlighted how a range of factors including lack of recognition of qualifications and experience, poor pay rates, lack of promotional opportunities, lack of social capital, and discrimination all hinder access to decent work for migrants and refugees. We are committed to addressing these barriers by providing access to education, and by ensuring the supports needed for equal access to employment are in place for everyone.

6. Health and Wellbeing

Through our work to date we recognise that refugees and migrants have a variety of different physical and mental health needs, shaped by experiences in their country of origin, their migration journey, and the conditions they experience in Ireland. A key area of our work for the next three years will be engaging with communities to understand and articulate their health needs and to advocate for services that respond to these needs.