On a Tuesday, Government Buildings in Dublin became the centre of two demonstrations, as protesters called for improved conditions for asylum seekers. The advocates were championing for superior housing solutions for asylum seekers, a fair portion of whom have spent weeks sleeping in the open.
Multiple entities, including United Against Racism, Social Rights Ireland, and End Direct Provision Action, arranged a collective demonstration near the International Protection Office (IPO) in the evening. This was succeeded by an earlier afternoon protest outside the Department for Integration.
Dee Roche, a volunteer for Social Rights Ireland, expressed that the groups sought clarification regarding prospective government plans concerning the handling of asylum seekers, echoing the disorganised current state of affairs. Roche stressed that at a minimum, these individuals should be provided with suitable housing and afforded the most basic respect and human rights.
The group attempted to deliver a letter to the Department for Integration earlier that afternoon, an effort which was thwarted.
Roche detailed, “As volunteers, we’ve been supporting the males, who have been residing at the IPO over recent weeks.” Conditions have continued to deteriorate, reaching a crisis point last weekend. Roche referred to the asylum seekers in tents, who were relocated away from the city centre ahead of the St Patrick’s Day celebrations. They were moved to emergency tented shelter – a former nursing home of the Health Service Executive – in Crooksling, southwest Dublin.
Roche critically noted, “With international spotlight on the city, they were unfairly displaced and moved to a place that was not adequately prepared.” Roche lamented on the lack of empathy on display during the incident, describing it as a “total disregard for them as human beings”.
Since December, male asylum-seekers have not been given accommodation from the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), leading to the formation of a makeshift “camp” around the IPO headquarters. The situation intensified last week in the wake of illness outbreaks, adding pressure on the IPAS to devise a solution and clear the camp.
The Department for Children and Integration announced on Sunday that some 150 men, who had been sleeping at the IPO, had been offered an emergency tented shelter in Crooksling. However, at least 25 tents were seen in the vicinity of the IPO on Lower Mount Street in Dublin, later that weekend.
The refugee applicants who made their way back to Dublin’s city centre, after departing from the tented lodging in Dublin’s hills, have described the Crooksling site as “uncomfortable” and “frigid”. They indicated the existence of a singular functional lavatory, which they identified as being “extremely unhygienic and in appalling condition”.
However, a representative of the department disputed these allegations of the sole lavatory being in filthy condition and littered, showcasing photos that portrayed the bath and lavatory facilities located in Crooksling’s modular constructs.
Roderic O’Gorman, the minister in charge of incorporation, affirmed his knowledge of the simplicity of facilities at the Crooksling site, but emphasized it was still a marked upgrade compared to the glaring absence of even basic amenities that had been a feature at Mount Street.
As revealed by fresh data from the Department of Integration, from the beginning of Tuesday, approximately 1,323 foreign applicants for protection do not have accommodation sponsored by the State. This signifies an uptick of 15 individuals lacking shelter since the previous Friday, when single male asylum applicants looking for lodging numbered 1,308.
The department conveyed through a statement that, despite relentless attempts to secure emergency shelter, it was currently unable to offer accommodation to all International Protection Applicants owing to a severe paucity. Refugees who are not allocated accommodation will be granted a provisional surge of €75 to their daily expenditure allowance. This will elevate the allowance from the existing rate of €38.80 weekly to €113.80 per week for qualifying applicants.
The Minister for Public Expenditure, Paschal Donohoe, expressed his belief that the Government’s freshly proposed plan for housing asylum seekers was yet in the preliminary stages. He speculated that the report would focus on the requirement for six newly constructed intake centres.
Mr Donohoe suggested that the funding designated for these fresh facilities would be endowed directly by the treasury. He also hinted at the new project being larger in scale compared to previous attempts at asylum seeker accommodation provision, which would inevitably bring about its own challenges.
The recent relocation of individuals to Crooksling highlights the evolving challenges we face as a nation in providing suitable emergency housing. The past methods of provisioning such accommodation may no longer be sustainable, requiring us to reconsider our approach.
The inevitable question we must grapple with is whether we find it acceptable for individuals to reside in tents within our urban centres. The vulnerability and lack of security and facilities these individuals face speaks volumes. Wouldn’t it be more favourable to place everyone in a location offering essential amenities, including robust security measures, shelter and sanitation? Unfortunately, the complexity of this problem promises only to increase.
The issue of mandating individuals to move to such facilities falls under the jurisdiction of Minister O’Gorman.