Barka for Mutual Help Ireland Return & Relocation Support Programme – Annual Report 2025 01/01/2025 – 31/12/2025

BARKA IRELAND IN NUMBERS:

TOTAL NUMBER OF RECONNECTIONS IN 2025:

131 Persons

TOTAL NUMBER OF RECONNECTIONS SINCE ESTABLISHMENT:

1238 Persons

BARKA IE: Helping People Reconnect and Reintegrate

Introduction

BARKA IE is a charitable organization based in Dublin, dedicated to assisting individuals experiencing homelessness.

Established in 2011, BARKA IE is a part of the global BARKA Network, which has branches in the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, and Iceland, with its origins in Poland. The organization was founded in response to the rising number of Central and Eastern European migrants living on the streets of Ireland, struggling with homelessness and substance abuse.

Mission and Approach

BARKA IE aims to provide sustainable solutions for people experiencing homelessness. The organization primarily focuses on helping individuals reconnect with their home countries and socially reintegrate. This is facilitated through the extensive support network provided by the Barka Foundation Network in Poland, which offers opportunities for individuals to reunite with their families or receive help for addiction problems

Services Provided

BARKA IRELAND 4 core objectives are:

1. Provide Information, Advice and Repatriation to a person’s home Country

2. Assistance with Accessing Emergency Accommodation when required

3. Fostering Social and Vocational Integration – educational and community programs, creating workplaces and accessible housing programs (BARKA NETWORK)

4. Key Work and Case Management; Language and Translation Service

 

1. Overview

In 2025, 131 people were supported by Barka for Mutual Help Ireland to return to their countries of origin through structured, safe and voluntary return and relocation assistance.

The programme supports EU nationals and other migrants experiencing homelessness, housing exclusion, health crisis and social vulnerability who are unable to stabilise their situation in Ireland and choose return as their only viable pathway out of crisis.

Despite periods of limited staffing capacity, the programme maintained stable and consistent delivery throughout the year.

 

2. Gender and Age Profile

Category	Number	%
Men	80	61%
Women	34	26%
Children	17	13%
Total	131	100%

 

The profile reflects the demographic structure of homelessness in Dublin: predominantly single adult men, alongside a significant proportion of families with children, especially in cases of employer-linked or informal accommodation collapse.

 

 

3. Nationality Profile

Nationality group	Share
Romanian	32%
Polish	26%
Other EU nationals	42%

 

Other nationalities included German, Portuguese, Spanish, British, Irish, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, Lithuanian, Latvian, Swedish, French, Ukrainian, Norwegian and others.

This confirms that EU migrant homelessness in Dublin is multi-national, structural and growing in complexity.

4. Homelessness & PASS System

In 2025, 43 of the 131 people supported (32.8%) were registered in the national PASS (Pathway Accommodation & Support System).

However, analysis of housing situations at point of referral shows that:

Housing situation	Number	%
Rough sleeping / street homelessness	83	63.4%
Unsecured or temporary accommodation	48	36.6%
Total	131	100%

 

This demonstrates that nearly two thirds of all beneficiaries were sleeping rough or in street-based situations at the time they were referred to Barka.
PASS captures only part of this population. Many EU migrants cycle between streets, Garda, hospitals, airports and informal accommodation without formal PASS registration. Barka therefore reaches a hidden homeless population that would otherwise remain outside standard service pathways.

 

5. Age Profile of Beneficiaries

Age range: from 0 to 82 years

Typical person supported by Barka is in their early to mid-30s, but with a very wide age spread, including children and elderly people.

Age Distribution

Age group	Number	% of total
Children (0–17)	27	18.1%
Young adults (18–24)	9	7.1%
Adults (25–34)	33	25.2%
Mid-age adults (35–49)	36	28.3%
Older adults (50–64)	20	15.7%
Seniors (65+)	7	5.5%
Total	131	100%

1 in 4 people are either children or seniors
These are high-vulnerability groups that:

• cannot self-resolve homelessness
• require safeguarding, healthcare and social protection
• face extreme risk if left in street homelessness or unstable housing

6. Referral Pathways

Referrals came predominantly from frontline emergency and statutory services:

Referral source	% of all referrals
An Garda Síochána (incl. Airport Police)	21%
MQI (incl. Lighthouse)	11.5%
Capuchin Day Centre	11.5%
Focus Ireland / Focus Family Centre	9.2%
ITAS	7.6%
Hospitals (St James’s, Beaumont, St Vincent’s)	6.1%
HSE Social Inclusion Teams	6.1%
Simon Community	4.6%
DRHE	2.3%
Prisons (Cloverhill, Dochas)	2.3%
Other NGOs	8.4%

 

Over 40% of all referrals originated directly from State services (Garda, HSE, hospitals, prisons, DRHE), confirming that Barka operates inside Dublin’s crisis-response system, not outside it.

 

7. Operational Performance

Despite staffing constraints during part of 2025, Barka delivered:

• 131 safe and coordinated returns
• sustained collaboration with all major homelessness and addiction services
• strong engagement with consulates, hospitals, prisons and Gardaí

This reflects high efficiency, prioritisation of high-risk cases, and strong inter-agency trust.

 

8. Strategic Conclusions

1. Return support is a homelessness intervention
   With one third of clients in PASS and two thirds sleeping rough or in street-based situations, return support has become a core homelessness exit pathway for EU migrants in Dublin.
2. Demand is structural, not temporary
   The wide nationality spread and increasing family cases indicate that migrant homelessness is not resolving itself.
3. The programme generates system-wide savings
   Each return prevents long-term use of emergency accommodation, hospital beds, Garda time and NGO crisis services.

 

 

9. Outlook for 2026

Based on 2025 trends, Barka expects:

• increased referrals from Garda, hospitals and emergency accommodation
• a higher proportion of PASS-registered EU migrants
• more families losing housing and requiring return as the only viable option

Return support will therefore become even more critical to Dublin City Council’s homelessness and migration management strategy.

 

10. Final Statement

In 2025, Barka for Mutual Help Ireland supported 131 of the most vulnerable people in Dublin to exit homelessness and social crisis through safe, structured return.

With 63% coming directly from street homelessness and over 40% referred by State services, the programme is now a strategic component of Dublin’s homelessness response and a high-impact, cost-effective intervention for the City.

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Success Story 1 – Nauris (Romania)

From street homelessness to family reunification

Nauris came to Ireland after being promised a job and accommodation. When he arrived in Dublin, he discovered that everything he had been told was false. For six weeks he slept on the streets, relying on soup kitchens and, for a short time, emergency night shelters. Eventually even this support ran out and he was left completely homeless.

By the time Barka met him, Nauris had visibly deteriorated. When he showed his passport – needed to arrange his return – staff could barely recognise the exhausted, bearded man he had become.

With Barka’s support, Nauris was able to return safely to Romania, where his wife and two teenage children were waiting for him. What began as a journey built on deception ended in a dignified return home.

Nauris’ story is not unique. Many EU migrants arrive in Ireland expecting stability, only to become trapped in homelessness. Barka provides a vital way out.

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Success Story 2 – Małgorzata (Poland)

Escaping abuse and returning home with dignity

Małgorzata, an 83-year-old woman, was brought to Ireland by her son. Over time, his alcohol addiction led to escalating verbal and physical abuse. Eventually the situation became so traumatic that Małgorzata cannot even remember how she escaped. A neighbour intervened and helped her reach a women’s refuge.

At the shelter she received food, clothing, emotional support and medical assessment. She was later admitted to hospital, where early signs of dementia were detected. After one month, doctors confirmed she was fit to live independently and could be discharged.

The shelter contacted Barka, and Małgorzata confirmed she wanted to return to Poland. Her bank card was blocked and her son refused to help, so Barka arranged and funded her flight. With support from hospital staff and Gardaí, she was safely escorted to collect her passport and belongings and then accompanied to the airport.

Małgorzata returned to Poland, where a family member met her. She continues medical treatment, attends a senior club and is planning to learn English — something she had always dreamed of doing. She repeatedly says that Barka “saved her life”.

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Success Story 3 – Jerzy (Poland)

From chronic homelessness to recovery and hope

Jerzy (59) had lived in Ireland for over 10 years. After losing his job and driving licence due to alcohol addiction, his health deteriorated and he became homeless. He was registered in PASS and lived in a hostel, but spent most days drinking in public spaces. His mobility and appearance worsened and his future looked bleak.

Barka staff kept in contact with Jerzy through day centres and street outreach, encouraging him to consider returning to Poland for treatment and stability. After many months, he agreed — as long as a Barka worker would accompany him.

Barka secured him a place at Barka in Poznań, arranged a temporary passport and travel, and travelled with him back to Poland. After rest and assessment, Jerzy was referred to a residential addiction treatment programme.

Today, Jerzy remains in regular contact. He proudly describes his new conditions as “luxurious” — including a medical bed — and is focused on achieving sobriety and reconnecting with his family. His success has already inspired another friend in Ireland to plan a return.