President Michael D Higgins has said that Ireland's migration policies must confront the challenge of ensuring respect for the migrant and the vulnerability of those who are displaced.
He was speaking at the opening of Social Justice Week at Maynooth University.
President Higgins said Ireland will face important questions in the years ahead about how to ensure that its domestic policies match its international aspirations and hopes.
He said the moral question of how to treat the other, the stranger, in the community must be a central concern, not only for Irish agencies operating overseas, but for Government at home.
"The arrival on these shores of people who are fleeing war and persecution, the movement of workers and families who are escaping destitution and poverty, are global issues in the addressing of which Ireland has a moral duty to play its part, both through our role in the international community, and in our laws, policies and practices at the national level," he said.
The President also praised the role of Irish aid agencies working in regions of Africa and in the Middle East, where various refugee crises are unfolding.
However, President Higgins said it was clear thus far that the international response to these crises has been inadequate.
"The international community is facing painful questions about the failure by our institutions to prevent or resolve divisions that are leading to military conflicts," he said.
The President concluded that students should use Social Justice Week "to reflect on Ireland's place in the world and its relationship with other regions and societies".
