A group of dispossessed asylum seekers have established a new camp at Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, mere hours after a raid and removal of tents at the Grand Canal. The freshly erected camp of nine tents, positioned at the intersection of Clyde Road and Wellington Road, is unfortunately unprotected, situated adjacent to a residential street and open to passers-by, with no access to sanitary services. The campsite is directly opposite a private co-ed school, St Conleth’s College.
Interestingly, this encampment is also located right next to St Mary’s, a deserted nursing home on Pembroke Road, which earlier this year, had been opposed by local inhabitants to serve as residence for asylum-seeking families. Now, approximately 200 individuals, including men, women, and children, live there.
On the day following the camp’s establishment, none of its residents were present despite indicators of habitation, including sleeping bags, water bottles, and flip-flops. A clean-up operation took place on Thursday, resulting in the allocation of housing for some 109 asylum seekers. Several agencies were involved in the removal operation and made an effort to prevent further encampments by erecting barriers.
The Irish Taoiseach, Simon Harris, commended the inter-agency collaboration on the issue, reiterating the necessity for a unified effort to handle migration matters. He stressed that providing shelter and accommodation is just one facet of immigration policy. However, he was clear that unauthorised camping would face legal repercussions.
“It is paramount that we continually strive towards a system where rules are not only formulated but also adhered to. Also, we cannot allow ourselves to deviate from established European standards, particularly in areas such as social welfare. The people of Ireland are known for their kindness as much as for their pragmatism, and it is essential for these qualities to be echoed in government actions.”