About 20 homeless asylum seekers and supporters protested outside the Department of Integration on Thursday calling for the “basic human right” of accommodation.
The men, from countries including Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan and Somalia, have been sleeping outside the headquarters of the International Protection Office (IPO) on nearby Mount Street Lower for up to two months.
On Thursday there were about 45-50 tents pitched outside the IPO. More homeless asylum seekers were joining daily, the men said.
Since early December the department’s International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) has said it can no longer offer beds to any but the most vulnerable male asylum seekers as it struggles to source accommodation. As of Tuesday 878 asylum seekers were “awaiting offer of accommodation”, according to the department.
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They are provided with a €100 supermarket voucher on arrival, a list of organisations in the city where they can wash and get food, and once they get a PPS number they are entitled to €113.80 a week – €75 more than asylum seekers in accommodation receive. The men say this is inadequate to source accommodation and they are not entitled to access emergency accommodation provided by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive.
The men at the protest, some as young as 20, carried placards bearing slogans including “Refugees are not a threat” and “Human rights have no borders” while others carried a tent with “Give us hope” written across one side.
One man from Pakistan, aged 21, came to Ireland on January 7th. “They told me there was no accommodation and just [took] me out of the office.
“My friends and I have been sleeping on the street in front of the IPO for the past 40 days and they don’t care, they don’t care. It is terrible. It is raining, bucketing down. The tents are not good quality. They get leaks and the water is coming in. It is freezing.
“I left Pakistan because there is blasting, bombs. I crossed 15 countries expecting life will be better here, but we are in trouble here. We want to live like normal human beings.”
Amir, also from Pakistan, has been sleeping in a tent at the IPO since January 11th. “We are facing the most harsh situation. The weather is so cold and we live in a tent. They should act like we are human. We are human. We also don’t take a shower for seven days. We need accommodation like other people.”
Frank O’Boyle, case worker with the Irish Refugee Council, addressing the protesters said it was becoming clearer every day “the State is failing in its obligations internationally in terms of domestic law... We’re making efforts to have that situation addressed but increasingly it feels like we are failing and I very much understand your frustrations.”
Róisín McAleer, activist with group Social Rights Ireland which is supporting the asylum seekers camped at the IPO, criticised the practice of “allowing” asylum seekers sleep rough despite there being “thousands of empty homes and buildings” in the State.
Ms McAleer said it was not right to expose vulnerable people “to the harsh threats of the elements, to the dangerous threats and abuse of passersby, and to the violent threats and harrasments of racists”.
The Department of Integration was asked for a response to the protest.
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