Dear Editor,
The esteemed ‘Emerald Isle’ known for its warm hospitality has recently encountered a storm of calamity in recent times, as witnessed by a series of unfortunate events. Disruptive anti-foreigner incidents have been experienced in Coolock, whilst virtual platforms have become a hotbed for disseminating vitriolic statements by racial supremacist groups based in the UK and US. A respected immigration attorney has been menaced and a High Court ruling has underscored the failure of the State to cater to fundamental necessities of unsheltered asylum seekers, thus pushing them into an alarmingly fragile state which compromises their basic human respect.
Government data suggests that this verdict will not initiate any instantaneous policy shifts (“Failure of the State to cater to asylum seekers’ needs”, August 2nd).
In the meantime, the key Opposition party, Sinn Féin, has unveiled a public-pleasing policy document which fundamentally recommends transferring the dwelling place of asylum seekers from labour class to bourgeoisie zones.
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My residence lies in the bourgeois sector of Rathmines/Ranelagh, where a hotel and four edifices owned by real estate magnates accommodate several hundreds of asylum seekers without any incidents to report.
Volunteers in the community have diligently distributed flyers to counteract any anti-asylum seeker propaganda. A special commendation is deserved for a handful of extraordinary individuals, primarily women, who have been the backbone of support for the homeless asylum seekers lacking proper housing.
Ironically and harshly, the governing bodies provide these susceptible people with tents, then incessantly displace them and construct towering barriers to deter their attempts at setting up camp in small green patches.
Seeing the tiredness, trepidation, and despair of these young men from impoverished and war-ravaged nations evokes a deep embarrassment in my Irish identity, given my father was a refugee who arrived in 1948. – Yours faithfully,
ANDY POLLAK,
Rathmines.
Furthermore, as volunteers striving to provide aid to refugees awaiting international protection in our nation, we are appalled by the State’s incapacity to provide even the minimal safeguard.
Last Wednesday, eleven men hailing from Palestine and Jordan found themselves setting up tents on a parcel of wasteland near the Dodder. Their several hours’ stay was marred with insult and intimidation from several individuals passing by. A midnight intervention by local law enforcement caused the men to vacate the area and they ended up spending the night on a city centre’s benches.
The mechanism set by the International Protection Accommodation Services dictates that these individuals must first be categorised as homeless before they are provided with a place to stay. Upon arrival, the only thing provided is a tent, which they soon discover is impossible to set up within the city limits. Be it by the canal, now fenced in by Waterways Ireland; in parks, with wardens warding them off; or even vacant office buildings where holding firms enlist injunctions, every corner of the city is off-limits, leaving these men in an untenable position.
The peril confronting those without shelter in Dublin is escalating rapidly. As a group of volunteers, we have witnessed a steady rise in the threats, verbal assaults, and physical violence these vulnerable people face. A fortnight ago, homeless individuals near the Liffey were assaulted by a mob wielding knives and pipes.
While seeking asylum is not an illegal act, those who do are often victimised via violent crimes. The culprits often go unpunished whilst the victims remain subjugated and dehumanised enduring nights in unhygienic streets without shelter.
A recent High Court ruling states that the Irish Government has violated asylum seekers’ human rights. A determined group of volunteers that has stepped in to fill the gap left by the State in terms of moral and legal responsibilities is now demanding immediate action.
Written by:
FRANK HOURICAN,
Dublin 4.