A man who wishes to remain anonymous recounts the horrific event of his tent being attacked at City Quay on Tuesday evening. He recalls suddenly waking up to his tent being sliced through with a knife. As an international protection (IP) applicant, his first instinct was to run for his life, leaving all his possessions behind. He can still remember the chilling threats of his attackers, forcing him to part with his bag – filled with all his belongings such as his mobile phone and shoes – by throwing it into the water.
On Tuesday night, the tents of 15 asylum-seekers living on City Quay located in the southern inner region of the capital, were reportedly targeted in a violent assault by men armed with knives and pipes. Post the attack, several bags and tents were thrown into the River Liffey as the asylum seekers, predominantly Palestinians and Somalis, scattered for safety.
The eyewitness, whose tent was cut through during the attack, along with the others, returned to the site once safe to ensure everyone had escaped unscathed. Given the sight of the tents in the water, they were deeply concerned about the possibility of someone having been thrown into the river too. Another man at the scene stated that his hurley-hit back was not his only concern; his passport and other documents had also been discarded into the River Liffey.
In search for immediate help and refuge, these men reached Pearse Street Garda station led by local volunteers, seeking an emergency housing recommendation. They were offered temporary shelter for the night when an empathetic business owner from Dublin 7 agreed to let them sleep on the premises’ floor.
The provision of safe accommodations was deemed an urgent requirement by the manager, given the increasing assaults on refugees. He indicated that the recent violent anti-immigration protests at a formerly operational paint factory in Coolock motivated the attackers, encouraging such violent behaviour against refugees.
On Wednesday morning, several men revisited the Pearse Street Garda station in order to allow their documents to be captured on camera so they could obtain housing through the International Protection Accommodation Services.
One man who had come to Ireland on Monday to seek asylum expressed his confusion about the housing situation. He questioned as to where they were supposed to set up the tents they had been given, especially when setting up a tent within city limits has been declared as illegal.
In response to an alleged violent incident on Tuesday, a representative from the Department of Integration said that they were focusing their efforts on individuals identified in the area where the incident took place. He further added that offers of lodging were planned to be extended to qualifying individuals that very same day.
The representative also mentioned that the government was actively striving to provide shelter for asylum seekers, despite facing an unprecedented rise in demand. But he admitted, the situation is quite challenging, hence it is difficult to provide all IP applicants with accommodation currently.
On Wednesday, by 3.30pm, accommodation offers had been given to five of the men.
The most recent government statistics revealed that about 2,400 men who are seeking international protection are currently without a home.
A woman representing the Garda stated that the police had responded to a “criminal damage” report at City Quay in the early hours of Wednesday morning. However, she emphasised that An Garda Síochána may not legally provide housing to anyone.
She pointed out that An Garda is required to respond to complaints about encampments, but any questions about shelter for homeless asylum seekers ought to be directed to the International Protection Accommodation Service. The woman also confirmed that inquiries into the City Quay incident were still underway.