The count of international protection applicants lacking accommodation from the State has exceeded 3,000 for the first time, reports RTE.
This follows reports that several men who received “temporary accommodation” in Citywest due to the cold weather were notified today via email that their “temporary placement” was ending and that they needed to vacate by 10 am tomorrow because “as the cold weather has passed.”
As part of the cold weather protocol, newly arrived asylum seekers were provided accommodation in Citywest.
The Department of Integration stated, “The International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) cold weather response plan will come to an end on Wednesday, December 4. IPAS will keep track of weather predictions, and our cold weather response plan will be reactivated if extreme weather alerts are issued,” reports RTE.
“Following the end of our cold weather initiative, we will no longer extend temporary accommodation at Citywest to new applicants registering at the International Protection Office (IPO),” a representative added, reports RTE.
Tomorrow marks one year since the State stopped providing accommodation to all male asylum seekers seeking international protection in Ireland due to “significant accommodation shortages.”
Last month, the State filed an appeal against a High Court ruling from August that stated the State had not fulfilled its duty to meet the basic needs of international protection applicants, including accommodation, thereby violating their right to dignity.
Women and children, along with men assessed as “vulnerable” upon arrival, are currently offered accommodation by the State, reports RTE.
Since last December, only 736 out of 6,407 men seeking asylum in Ireland were promptly provided accommodation following a vulnerability assessment.
5,671 were initially denied accommodation when they applied.
As of now, 3,001 individuals remain without accommodation, reports RTE.
The Irish Refugee Council has termed this a “grim milestone.”
“This situation directly undermines Ireland’s commitment to human rights and dignity. Several High Court decisions have reaffirmed the legal obligation to provide applicants with basic necessities, including accommodation, highlighting the inadequacy of the current alternative provisions offered by the State,” remarked Nick Henderson, Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Refugee Council, reports RTE.
“We are also highly worried that starting tomorrow, individuals who were accommodated in Citywest during the cold weather initiative will find themselves back on the streets, and newly arrived individuals will not receive accommodation unless classified as vulnerable. Met Éireann forecasts a period of unsettled, wet, and very windy weather for the remainder of the week,” Mr. Henderson noted.
“We urge the current government and the future administration, regardless of its configuration, to take immediate action to establish the necessary capacity to restore safety and dignity for those seeking protection,” reports RTE.
Currently, State accommodation is made available to male international protection applicants identified as sleeping rough by an outreach team coordinated by the homeless charity Tiglin.
International protection applicants who do not receive State accommodation are given an additional €75 weekly, bringing their total weekly support from the State to €113.80, reports RTE.
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