Over 750 asylum seekers have been left homeless in Ireland after the government announced a shortage of accommodation for those seeking refugee status in early December, the BBC reports.
There were 13,000 asylum applications in Ireland in 2023, five times more than in 2019, the Department of Integration reported.
“Despite intensive efforts to source emergency accommodation, the department is currently not in a position to provide accommodation to all international protection applicants due to the severe shortage.”
Ireland currently hosts over 101,585 people between refugees from Ukraine and applicants for International Protection (IP). This includes over 74,955 Ukrainians approaching the state in search of accommodation. However, those fleeing war in Ukraine are treated differently by Ireland than those seeking asylum from other countries.
The country is presently struggling with a record housing crisis, as around 14,000 Irish people remain homeless. Pressure on services as well as misinformation fuelled on social media led to a number of protests on November 23 last year when public transport was set on fire and Garda officers wounded by a crowd marching through O’Connell Street in Dublin. The riot was instigated by a man attacking young children near the school.
Dr Anne Holohan, an Associate Professor in Sociology at Trinity College Dublin, believes that asylum seekers have revealed what is lacking in terms of investment in infrastructure and services.
The anger is because people know Ireland is a relatively wealthy country. We had a massive budget surplus and still there is not sufficient addressing of the housing crisis or investment in health or education.
Dr Holohan stated that nationally orientated provocateurs spread misinformation in small communities. Last year 15 arson attacks on centres and potential refugee centres occurred. Property owners considering renting out their centres have reported being threatened or intimidated into giving up government contracts.
According to the Irish Network Against Racism (INAR), racist attacks are on the rise, with some property owners actually being intimidated or threatened for agreeing to house asylum seekers. Lorraine O’Connor founded the Muslim Sisters of Eire, an organisation that helps the homeless amid growing security fears.
“They’re very vulnerable. Are we going to repeat what happened when they found the place where they were living and burnt them out? Irish people in the housing list, Irish people don’t have a home then there’s a lot of immigrants here with no homes as well. And I feel the government are pitting them against us and this is where it’s happening.”
Irish Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman is reportedly finalising his plans to accommodate refugees across the country. A government source revealed that the general principle was to provide more state-owned beds. Measures are expected to include the state buying derelict or empty properties as well as building new ones.
Department officials are working to bring more bed spaces into use, and since January 2022 have brought over 17,300 bed spaces to accommodate those who arrive in Ireland seeking International Protection (IP).
At the end of January, Justice Minister Helen McEntee announced that Botswana and Algeria would be recognised as “safe” countries of origin for the purposes of asylum claims.
People from “safe” countries have the right to apply for international protection, but they will have to present strong grounds that the country is unsafe in terms of their personal circumstances.
