In a two-part piece, Mary Coogan looks critically at Ireland’s asylum system and dispels some of the myths that surround it.

There has been much discussion in the media in recent week regarding the direct provision system in Ireland. The Irish Times published a series called ‘Lives in Limbo’, which cast a much needed light on the stories of the people living within this system. One of the things that appealed to me about the series is that it set out very clearly the reality of the direct provision system. It focused on the facts of the system and the impact it has on the lives of people living within it. From conversations in the pub, overheard conversations on buses and browsing the comments section of online articles about asylum seekers, it appears that both the facts and the impact get lost in a haze of misinformation and alarmism; ‘spongers’, ‘ungrateful’, ‘why are they here?’, ‘swamped by foreigners’, ‘taking our jobs and houses’ are some of the comments often overheard.

“It does nothing for Irish society to hide behind half-truths and stereotypes”

Misinformation never adds anything to a discourse and in this instance it certainly does not do the stories and reality of asylum seekers any justice.  It also does nothing for Irish society to hide behind half-truths and stereotypes. Our past is littered with secrecy, stereotypes and stigma of ‘fallen women’ and ‘illegitimate children’. Emily O’Reilly, former Ombudsman , recently indicated that Ireland will, in the future, have to issue an apology to asylum seekers along the lines of the apology made to survivors of the Magdalene laundries. The reality of the lives of the women from the Magdalene laundries have been laid bare. Few could argue that this shed a positive light on Ireland’s past.

What of Ireland in the 21st century? Have we learned enough to firstly seek to understand the facts rather than the myths and more importantly, will we now show compassion to those living this reality? The following are some facts that will dispel some of the myths and misinformation surrounding the asylum process.

Why does Ireland have asylum seekers?

Ireland has asylum seekers just like any other country.  The right to claim asylum is a fundamental right enshrined in the 1951 Geneva Convention. There is no such thing as a bogus asylum seeker or an illegal asylum seeker.  Everybody has a right to seek asylum in another countryand so too it is true for those seeking such asylum in Ireland, it is a right not a privilege.

“There is no such thing as a bogus asylum seeker or an illegal asylum seeker”

According to Migration Watch, “Asylum seeker means a person who has applied for asylum under the 1951 Refugee Convention on the Status of Refugees on the ground that if he is returned to his country of origin he has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political belief or membership of a particular social group. He remains an asylum seeker for so long as his application or an appeal against refusal of his application is pending. “Refugee” in this context means an asylum seeker whose application has been successful. In its broader context it means a person fleeing e.g. civil war or natural disaster but not necessarily fearing persecution as defined by the 1951 Refugee Convention.”

Once granted refugee status, a refugee may stay in Ireland indefinitely, is entitled to work, access social welfare and move out of the direct provision centres.  The average length of time awaiting status in Ireland is 3.5 years.

 Does Ireland have a disproportionately high number of refugees and asylum seekers?

In the first quarter of 2014, there were 290 new claims for asylum in Ireland, 10,700 new claims in Italy and 2,440 new claims in Greece. For the year 2012, Ireland ranked 29th out of 45 European receiving countries for asylum applications per 1,000 inhabitants with 0.2 asylum seekers per 1,000 inhabitants. For the same period, the highest rates were in Malta, Sweden and Luxembourg with 4.9 asylum seekers per 1,000, 4.7 per 1,000 inhabitants and 4.0 per thousand respectively.

Is Ireland a ‘soft touch’ for asylum seekers?

Certainly not. Ireland has the lowest recognition rate for asylum seekers in Europe and the conditions for asylum seekers have been widely criticised.

In Ireland, asylum seekers receive accommodation in a direct provision centre, which is often cramped and unsuitable for long term habitation; this video from Mount  Trenchard direct provision centre gives a glimpse into the conditions. Asylum seekers have no control over where they live, and if they leave their direct provision centre for more than a few days, they lose their bed. The process for re-registering is complicated and places many asylum seekers at risk of homelessness.

Three meals a day are provided at set times; residents have no control over when or what they eat  and religious and cultural norms are not taken into account. The quality of the food provided in the system and the physical and psychological impact of the same when considered over the course of a number of years has been widely criticised. Residents receive an allowance of €19.10 per adult and €9.60 per child per week.

Asylum seekers in Ireland are not entitled to work regardless of how long they have been in the system and they cannot access regular social welfare payments. Refugees i.e. people who been through the asylum process and have received their papers, have the right to work and can access social welfare. However, the reality is that this is not a straightforward transition. It can be challenging to find work after years of unemployment and de-skilling.  People with newly granted refugee status can find themselves in a precarious situation regarding accommodation; for example, to get rented accommodation, one needs references and financial security. Refugees can only access social welfare when they meet the standard requirements, which often include proof of address.

By comparison, asylum seekers in the UK receive a weekly allowance of £36.52 and are provided with accommodation. If they have been waiting for more than 12 months for a decision on their status, they can apply for the right to work.

In Sweden, asylum seekers are entitled to work from the day they lodge their asylum claim. They are offered free Swedish lessons, can opt to source their own accommodation or live in accommodation provided by the Swedish Migration Board.

Long term impact

During the years spent awaiting a decision here, asylum seekers cannot bring their full potential to bear for society and are dependent on the state. Ireland is the only EU country that does not grant the right to work after a certain period to asylum seekers. Children’s relationships with their parents are compromised as they do not get to see their parents as providers and caregivers but instead see them disempowered by the state, unable to work or even cook a meal for their family.

Taking all of this into account, I struggle to see how Ireland can be considered to be a ‘soft touch’. It can be all too easy for wider society to hide behind stereotypes and stigma, myths and half truths and look the other way when presented with the reality that these are people. They have the same hopes, fears, aspirations and frustrations as the rest of us. They are humans in an inhumane system.

The second article in this series compares the Irish asylum system to the UK and Sweden.

Author: Mary Coogan

Mary is originally from Co Wicklow and holds an MSC in International Development from UCD. She previously volunteered in Ghana and South Africa before working as Development Coordinator on the 2011 Suas Volunteer Programme. Mary worked full time at Suas for two years as Volunteer Programme Officer before joining the Volunteering Team in VSO in 2013.

Photo credit: Direct Provision: No Place to Call Home, Campaign organisers post their petition to end the instituionalised accommodation of asylum seekers in Ireland to Minister for Justice, Irish Refugee Council, Creative Commons licence

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