Several weeks past, a gentleman arrived at the International Protection Office (IPO) situated on Mount Street in Dublin. He intended to make an asylum request and revealed he was suffering from a fever. An initial health check was undertaken by a nurse stationed on the premises. Post this cursory evaluation, he was directed to an emergency room for a potential malaria examination. On the surface, the procedure appeared finely tuned. However, the underlying reality was chaos.
The gentleman autonomously discharged himself from the hospital before conclusive results declaring him free from malaria and non-contagious were established. There were no subsequent plans coordinated with the man, and he vanished soon afterward. Three distinct bodies – the Department of Justice, the Department of Integration, and the Health Service Executive (HSE) – were all stacking names and contact information. Yet, with an overextended health personnel team entrusted with the scrutiny of numerous individuals, the strategy collapsed.
The Taoiseach has recently made promises of a ‘collective agency effort’ and ‘Team Ireland’ achieving substantial advancement. However, the actual scenario for those caught in the midst of this is glaringly dissimilar. The shortage of dedicated medical facilities at the IPO, where the gentleman should have been effectively evaluated and documented, serves as just a single instance of the swift degeneration of Ireland’s immigration process.
One anonymous health worker expressed dissatisfaction: “We lack a medical infrastructure at the IPO to handle this. A comprehensive, standard health measure should be implemented at the point of entry, but no plan for post-check-up exists.” HSE officials deployed to the IPO haven’t received extra funding or the necessary resources to thoroughly assess new arrivals and have observed susceptible men being discharged into the streets.
Presently, a daily average of 60 to 80 individuals are lined up for health screening, a massive surge compared to the 15 daily individuals assessed during the previous December. One health professional suspects that the decision not to label migrants as homeless is strategic. “The concept is that they don’t possess equivalent rights and privileges as our indigenous homeless. The current scenario of people dwelling in tents could have transpired during the Ukrainian crisis, but it evaded such a fate,” shared this informant.
In the realm of politics, actions speak louder than words. Ireland welcomed Ukrainians with open arms, deploying all resources necessary. However, this level of compassion seems missing when dealing with other male immigrants. The country is facing massive challenges in finding and providing additional housing in light of local opposition against establishment of new centres.
One seasoned professional in migration policy, who chooses to remain unnamed, highlighted how the burgeoning sight of tents around the city centre sends out a detrimental message. This image conveys the government’s lack of support for these men, further strengthening the erroneous stereotype that men are at the root of the issue, a bias that has been on a rise across Europe over the past ten years.
Veronica Crosbie, head of Places of Sanctuary Ireland and ex-chairwoman of Dublin City University’s MA in Refugee Integration, voiced her criticism on the stinging comments made by some politicians. Prominent figures like the Taoiseach have overtly committed to eliminating the tent issue by not allowing it to develop or “fester”. According to her, this deliberate choice of words shapes the broader societal discourse and influences how Ireland is perceives its own nation.
Her critique doesn’t stop there. She noted the term “fester” and its negative connotations when relating it to Ireland’s own history of slums. With this recollection, Ireland should be empathetic towards the plight of Palestinians in Gaza. Surprisingly, this empathy seems to dissipate when it comes to those struggling within the Irish borders.
Dr Craosbie continued, suggesting that the sight of asylum-seeking men living in tents by roadside was reflective of those marginalised and dismissed in society. She flagged Ireland’s dual support system put forth in light of the Ukrainian war. It left unintended consequences, asking for less for Ukrainian refugees while dehumanising these men.
The root of the problem, according to Dr. Crosbie, lies with the current government. It is they who began implementing the ill-conceived stratified system that is currently in effect, which has perpetuated the belief that some individuals are more deserving than others. She adds that now that they have realised their error, attempts are being made to reduce assistance to Ukrainian refugees. However, the government is trying to correct a problem that it initially created.
Prime Minister Simon Harris adopted a thoughtful tone this week when discussing the current predicament of “endangered individuals” taking refuge in tents. He asserted his commitment to maintaining a “coordinated response” from multiple agencies, with no ‘buck passing’ or ‘silo mentality’. The Prime Minister’s spokesperson confirmed that since Mr Harris assumed his role, 453 unfortunate souls have been provided appropriate shelter. The central message from the leader of the Fine Gael is that the Irish asylum process should be governed by understanding and practicality.
However, the sight of around 50 tents spread across the Grand Canal last Friday morning, and 1,780 men anticipating accommodation offers, highlights a looming legal concern for the Government. The problem is the homeless males left to fend for themselves on the streets.
In less than two weeks, the High Court will consider a case brought upon by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) alleging that the nation is not adequately catering to the fundamental requirements of international protection applicants. The IHREC is setting precedent by filing this potentially landmark case under its name, expressing the dire plight and destitution of those without a home.
The High Court will deliberate on whether the nation has neglected its legal responsibility to bestow shelter, food and basic hygiene facilities, thereby infringing the human rights of these individuals.
The Prime Minister’s declaration that all support measures for refugees and asylum seekers will be revised, suggests a serious reconsideration of the nation’s asylum policy by the Government.
The contemporary rise in the population of asylum seekers and migrants poses similar challenges for the Government’s immigration policy as it did just prior to the inception of the direct provision system 24 years ago.
According to Dr Veronica Crosbie, the results of two decades of efforts by various civil society groups to enhance living situations for asylum seekers were undone within a few weeks.
Initially launched as a pilot programme, direct provision formally became a national scheme in April 2000 due to an assortment of pressures including legislative reforms in the UK and concerns from European bodies that Ireland was becoming a “magnet” due to its welfare provision. Now, twenty years later, the Government is urgently introducing changes largely influenced by contentious immigration policies developing across the Irish Sea.
“Direct provision was hastily established because of a policy crisis,” remarks a specialist on migration. “Now, two decades later, the nation runs the risk of making the same mistakes from the past by quickly putting changes into action rather than creating well-constructed policies for minorities.”
“One of my concerns is the government’s focus on quick fixes aimed at gaining voters, making decisions that might not be reversible,” the expert added.
[ Alternate locations, such as Phoenix Park and Army barracks, are being encouraged as potential accommodation sites for asylum-seekers currently residing in tents by the Grand Canal ]
Decades of tireless efforts from civil society groups to enhance the living conditions for asylum seekers has been dismissed within several weeks, states Dr Crosbie.
“When I look at the tents and hear talk of law and order, the Government seems to be in chaos; it is a complete mess,” says Dr Crosbie.
When asked for a response, the Department of Justice revealed that due to a surge in international protection applications and a lack of space at the International Protection Office (IPO), it had set up a secondary processing location at Citywest in early April for families with children.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) confirmed a “coordinated effort at the IPO” and that individuals identified by the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) as having distinct medical requirements on their vulnerability assessment would be referred to a migrant health team.