In the vicinity of Dublin’s Mount Street Bridge on a Saturday afternoon, nearly thirty tents were set up by homeless asylum seekers, perpetuating their nearly daily process of relocating their makeshift homes throughout the capital city. Among these men seeking asylum, numerous newcomers have recently entered the nation with the absence of state-sponsored housing.
Supporters of the men expressed their desires for an undisturbed night in the present location, although they simultaneously planned for a potential relocation. This most recent tented area appeared following the Garda’s clearance of an impromptu camp in Irishtown the past Thursday.
As per the latest data, there are currently 2,511 men who have applied for international protection and are experiencing homelessness while they wait for potential accommodation proposals. This figure has seen a rise from 2,400 the previous month and a little over 2,000 at early June’s commencement.
Those devoid of any accommodation continue to acquire tents courtesy of governmental service providers despite being notified that it is against the law to camp within Dublin city. This cycle of camping and subsequent relocation dates back to March when the government first cleared tents set up around the International Protection Office in the vicinity of Mount Street Lower.
Meanwhile, on that same Saturday, a handful of protesters who were participating in the ‘Take Back Our Spaces’ demonstration, organised nearby the Department of Integration on Lower Baggott Street, dismantled fences along Mespil Road, initially established by Waterways Ireland.
A barrier stretching from Grand Canal Street, near Google’s headquarters, all the way to Windsor Terrace in Portobello, began its construction in the latter part of May due to the eviction of 100 or more individuals seeking asylum from a riverside camp. However, the fencing was temporarily torn down in the middle of July as a result of a protest, but the Irish police force promptly re-erected it.
The fencing has been condemned by the coalition known as Take Back Our Spaces as being an ‘exclusionary, racist, and classist’ tool. They also caution that these metal barricades are being exploited to inflame immigration problems and to fragment working-class neighbourhoods.
Waterways Ireland, an organisation that operates across the entire island, spends approximately €30,000 every week to upkeep this fencing. Despite acknowledging its unwelcome presence along the public amenity, they argue its necessary role in reducing health and safety risks, which they say are their foremost concern. The organisation also mentions that a potential solution they are working on is a ‘landscaping and programming’ scheme.