IRELAND: Asylum applicants targeted in violent incidents ― Politicians accused of ‘escalating tensions’ ― Government plans to charge asylum applicants for accommodation and limit provision for Ukrainians ― NGO report raises concerns about care of unaccompanied children | European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)

Several violent incidents in which people seeking asylum have been targeted have taken place in recent weeks.
Politicians have been accused of exacerbating anti-migration sentiments through their use of language.
A government committee has approved plans that would require asylum applicants with jobs to contribute to the cost of their accommodation.
The same committee has also approved a plan to reduce the amount of time that people fleeing the war in Ukraine will be able to spend in state-run accommodation.
A new NGO report has raised concerns about the care given to unaccompanied children who arrive in Ireland.

Several violent incidents in which people seeking asylum have been targeted have taken place in recent weeks. On 22 October, violence broke out during a protest outside a hotel housing asylum applicants in Dublin. An estimated 2,000 people attended the protest, which was organised after an alleged sexual assault of a child in the vicinity of the hotel the previous day, and six people were arrested and a police van was set on fire during the ensuing violence. On 23 October, a further 23 people were arrested and three police officers were injured in a second night of disorder at the Citywest Hotel. On 31 October, a building accommodating asylum applicants in Drogheda was deliberately set on fire. Four children, including a baby, and an adult had to be rescued from the top floor of the building after an accelerant was sprayed on a staircase. Following the incident, two of the rescued children were taken to hospital for assessment while an additional 23 people had to be relocated to alternative accommodation. Commenting on the arson attack, the head of ECRE member organisation the Irish Refugee Council (IRC), Nick Henderson, said: “This appalling incident is another salient reminder of the need for strong leadership – both locally and nationally – to stand against hatred and uphold compassion and solidarity”.

Politicians have been accused of exacerbating anti-migration sentiments through their use of language. On 28 October, the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published its sixth monitoring report on Ireland. The report noted that ‘Hate speech spans across news media, online platforms, and politics, including recent documented examples of politicians’ reactions to events in local communities resulting in ill-informed responses, fuelling hatred and escalating tensions further’ and that ‘Most discriminatory content was motivated by anti-migrant, anti-Black/African, anti-refugee/asylum-seeker sentiments’.

Less than a week after the publication of the ECRI report, the government was accused of “using rhetoric that is fuelling anti-immigration sentiment”. On 31 October, Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Simon Harris had stated that although Ireland had benefited from immigration and would continue to do so, the country’s asylum system was “not working” and migration numbers were “too high”. However, opposition parties have criticised his comments. Speaking in the Dáil (lower house of parliament) on 4 November, the leader of the Social Democrats party, Holly Cairns, accused the government of using “inflammatory language” and stoking further fears while the leader of the Labour party, Ivana Bacik, said that the government was conflating “immigration with criminality” and that its language could “contribute to an environment in which violence can develop”.

A government committee has approved plans that would require asylum applicants with jobs to contribute to the cost of their accommodation. On 3 November, the Cabinet Sub-committee on Migration adopted the measure which would see asylum applicants who are working being required to pay between €15 and €238 per week for their accommodation in state-provided centres. When he floated the proposal earlier in the year, Tánaiste Simon Harris said that this type of contribution model was important for “social cohesion”. Commenting on the recent agreement, IRC Director Nick Henderson insisted that it was important to take into account the specific context of each applicant. “If [they are] in long-term, appropriate, good employment, and they fall above that threshold being stated, then I think people will be happy to contribute. But let’s not forget as well that people are living near to or in poverty”. The plan will now be presented to a full cabinet meeting for approval.

The Cabinet sub-Committee on Migration has also approved a plan to reduce the amount of time that people fleeing the war in Ukraine will be able to spend in state-run accommodation. Following the body’s decision on 3 November, the current limit of 90 days is set to be reduced to 30 days. The government has argued that the lower cap is necessary due to an increase in the number of arrivals from Ukraine in recent months. However, NGOs have warned that the move could result in increased homelessness. According to the head of the refugee rights organisation Doras, John Lannon, the move would be “extremely counterproductive and “create more problems than it will solve”. His concerns were echoed by Nick Henderson who suggested that it would be very difficult for people to find accommodation within 30 days, particularly given the stretched nature of the rental market.

A new NGO report has raised concerns about the care given to unaccompanied children who arrive in Ireland. The report, which was commissioned by the NGO Empowering People in Care, has revealed the significant challenges faced by separated children seeking international protection, particularly relating to the age assessment processes that they have to undergo. The authors have called for “urgent improvements in both the short-term provision of care and long-term planning for separated children”. Commenting on the report’s findings, one of the authors, Muireann Ní Raghallaigh from University College Dublin, said that “Ireland has demonstrated some excellent practice in their care and protection, but these standards have come under pressure recently, despite efforts by key stakeholders”.

Related articles