There are currently approximately 1,676 refugees in a state of homelessness, according to recent figures. This reflects a decrease of 163 since the earlier figures from Tuesday. In a bid to find them shelters, 287 men were taken from their makeshift dwellings on Mount Street and transported to new lodging in Crooksling and Citywest last Thursday. This followed the shutting down of the impromptu encampment, leaving around 100 men without a place to stay.
The following morning, two men, unwilling to reveal their identities, showed up at the International Protection Office after pulling along their luggage down Mount Street. They expressed their helplessness, stating that even if they secured a tent, they were uncertain where they would be allowed to set it up. They had earlier managed to pay for a hostel but could not afford another night.
One man, a recent arrival from Algeria, indicated that people who remained at Ballsbridge were evicted that morning. He had been part of a group of roughly 30, provided lodging at Swords, only to return to the International Protection Office the subsequent day.
An older man from Nigeria was noticeably upset, grieving his predicament. He waited outside the International Protection Office for some news, having spent the prior night in a tent near the GPO (General Post Office). Since the announcement of a significant lack of shelters on December 4th, around 2,898 single male refugees have made it to Ireland.
By Friday, 1,222 of these had been provided with accommodation, with an extra 285 settled after a vulnerability assessment. Approximately 2,613 men received a temporary raise to their daily living allowance by €75, equating to a total of €113.80 per week, instead of receiving accommodation. This decision has faced criticism from various human rights groups, arguing that the allowance is inadequate to meet the accommodation expenses, specifically in Dublin.
Nick Henderson, the CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, while appreciating the provision of lodging for some, stated that those who were relocated formed a relatively small fraction of those still needing state-sponsored accommodation.
Acknowledging the endeavours and obstacles encountered by the Department of Integration, it is imperative that the government fulfils its responsibility of providing asylum seekers with fundamental necessities such as housing, as stipulated by the High Court.
Even though a fresh strategy for accommodation has been employed, the speed of its execution indicates that we might repeatedly confront the issue of homelessness,” he remarked.
A Zimbabwean man who landed in early April was present at the IPO, extending his support to an unsheltered friend. He had to rush for a spot on one of the buses after his friend called him while he was having breakfast at a day centre during Wednesday’s shuffle.
This man in his thirties stated that many people using day services missed out on securing a bed and returned to a cleared tent. “Some lost their chance,” he said.
In his words, some people “fled” fearing deportation to Rwanda. “They were afraid they were being deported to Rwanda because they didn’t comprehend the immigration laws,” he explained.
The man had reached Ireland earlier in April “in search of superior living conditions”, having travelled by bus through a ferry to Northern Ireland prior to making his way to Dublin, he accounted.
Even in the light of the Rwanda Bill, he stated that application processing durations in Ireland are noticeably shorter than in other nations, specifically the UK.