Twenty years too long
Recently, COVID-19 has shown us in a truly brutal way how inhumane Direct Provision is, and why the system urgently needs to end. Outbreaks are still happening because the living conditions in many centres don’t allow people to protect themselves. Following public health guidelines is simply not possible when strangers share bedrooms, bathrooms and living spaces.
In June, the new Government, in its Programme for Government, committed to finally end Direct Provision and replace it with accommodation that has the protection and promotion of human rights at its core.
This is one of the most significant moments in the history of Direct Provision, a system that was only ever meant to be an emergency, temporary measure. Instead, Direct Provision has lasted 20 years through successive governments. So, while the Government’s commitments are welcome, it has to now set an actual date to end Direct Provision. And we need a concrete, detailed plan so that no matter what happens in the political landscape, the government can’t backtrack on its commitments.
After 20 years of cruelty, it is well past time for this system to be consigned to history.
Yours faithfully
Amnesty International Galway volunteer group
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Direct Provision (DP) system was established in 2000 to provide housing and other basic necessities to people seeking international protection in Ireland. DP was designed as a short-term emergency measure, when individuals were expected to spend no longer than six months while their asylum application was processed. Instead, it has lasted 20 years, trapping people in limbo for years, often in overcrowded conditions, without adequate facilities and supports.
DP’s living conditions, restricted, institutionalised regime and lack of appropriate support services are unacceptable for anyone, and especially for such long periods of time. It is particularly harsh for children, and for vulnerable adults who have experienced trauma, sexual violence or torture before arriving in Ireland. People seeking protection often spend years in institutionalised living, sharing bedrooms, bathrooms and living spaces, and facing a lack of dignity, privacy, and adequate facilities.
Centres are mainly hostels, hotels and other accommodation owned and run by private companies for profit, paid for by the Government. They are often in isolated locations far from local communities. The isolation and hopelessness asylum seekers experience as a result can damage their physical and mental health and hinders their ability to restart their lives once recognised as refugees. For torture survivors, it can severely compromise their rehabilitation.
More than 60,000 people have been through or are currently in DP. Approximately 7,500 people currently live in DP or emergency accommodation (mostly hotels and B&Bs, used due to a lack of capacity in the Direct Provision system). The average stay in DP is now over 14 months, but many have stayed for much longer. Even when recognised as refugees, many can’t leave DP because of the housing crisis. People in DP receive a weekly allowance of just €29.80 per child and €38.80 per adult, with which to cover any additional expenses. They have no entitlement to social welfare payments, although they may apply for an exceptional needs payment in certain circumstances. People in DP are also entitled to receive a medical card.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how inhumane DP is. People in DP have faced this crisis in settings which make protecting their health and wellbeing all the more difficult. The institutionalised regime and congregated settings have meant that they have faced additional barriers to being able to adequately protect themselves, including taking the key preventive measures advised by the Government: frequent hand washing, social distancing and self-isolation. Rapid spread and increased risk of infection within crowded centres remain of major concern until the pandemic has ended. Urgent and effective measures are needed right now to protect the lives and well-being of those in the DP and emergency accommodation system.
The new Government, in its Programme for Government, has committed to finally end DP and replace it with accommodation that has the protection and promotion of human rights at its core. The Government-established Expert Group on the Provision of Support, including Accommodation, to Persons in the International Protection Process (Asylum Seekers) has now submitted its final report. It will go to Cabinet later this month and subsequently be published. The Government has said it will develop a ‘White Paper’ in response to the report by the end of 2020, setting out what it proposes to do on DP. The White Paper’s proposed policy and legislative framework needs to be robust and adequate. It must be accompanied by a detailed and time-lined implementation plan. This must not be another unimplemented policy document gathering dust, that dashes the hopes of people in Direct Provision after they have waited so long.
International human rights law is clear, the State must ensure asylum seekers receive accommodation and services that respect and protect their rights and ensure their safety and dignity. For this to happen, Direct Provision must end, and an alternative system that complies with international human rights standards must be developed in meaningful consultation with rights holders and the groups who support them.
No matter what happens in the political landscape, we need a solid plan that cannot be undone easily. The Government must ‘Set the Date’ to come up with the model to end Direct Provision, and publish an implementation plan that is concrete, detailed and fulfils people’s human rights.
For any queries, please email thanley@amnesty.ie
Response and Responsibility Conference on World Refugee Day
Response and Responsibility: World Refugee Day Conference
Wonderful to see the amount of interest in World Refugee Day events on Tuesday 20th June coming up! Amnesty have been busy organising a conference for the evening. At 7pm, we have a really exciting line up of speakers in Amnesty’s Response and Responsibility conference in the Galway 2020 Community hub.
An impressive line-up of speakers, including Pippa Woolnough of the Immigrant council of Ireland, Lt. Stuart Donaldson of the Irish Navy, Luke Hamilton of the Irish Refugee Council, activist Holly Hughes, who has worked in Dunkirk in the refugee camps, and Dr. Conor Kenny of Médecins Sans Frontières will address some of the responses to the refugee crisis, and explore how human rights instruments can be used to push governments and decision makers to take greater responsibility.
Galway Bay FM recently did an interview with Amnesty Galway Events Secretary Siddhi Joshi about the event on the day before World Refugee Day:
World Refugee Day Events in Galway
Galway groups will mark World Refugee Day on Tuesday, June 20th, with a full day of events and activities around the city.
The Day was established by the United Nations to draw attention to the millions of people worldwide who have been forced to flee their homes due to war, conflict and persecution. Worldwide, over 21 million refugees have been forced to flee their home countries, to seek safety elsewhere, half of whom are children.
Galway Anti Racism Network and Galway One World Centre will hold a stall in the afternoon on Shop Street, with information about Ireland’s Direct Provision system, and the campaign to recognise asylum seekers’ right to work. GARN Chairman, Joe Loughnane, added:
“Ireland has the most restrictive rules in the European Union in this regard. People are forbidden to work while their claims are being processed, which in some cases, can take 10 years or more. Beside the stall, we will map out the dimensions of the kind of room where people live, without any prospects to work, in violation of their rights, and of the Irish constitution.”
From 3-5pm, at Teach Solais Resource Centre, Victoria Place, Fáilte Refugees Society will host a public workshop titled ‘Asylum from Persecution’. The workshop will cover the causes of migration, and the stark choices faced by those seeking asylum. It will be followed with a talk by Maria Molloy, chairperson of AMACH!, on global LGBT+ human rights violations, in Chechnya and other countries around the world. Aidan Harte, of NUIG’s Fáilte Refugees Society explains:
“United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has stated that over one hundred allegedly gay men have been abducted, imprisoned, tortured and even killed by Chechen forces. We will be appealing to An Taoiseach to follow the lead of the Lithuanian government, amongst others, to grant refuge to those fleeing homophobic persecution, in Chechnya and, indeed, many other countries around the world”
The workshop is free but spaces are limited, so to book a place please email failterefugees@socs.nuigalway.ie
In Salthill, the Galway Integration Consortium will host a celebration of World Refugee Day with an afternoon of music and food. There will be performances by One World Voice Choir, Eglington Dance Troupe and DJ Gigi. Activities will take place at Aras Bóthar na Trá, [Salthill GAA centre] from 3 – 6pm. The event is free and all are welcome. Contact Suzanne@gcp.ie for more information.
The last event of the day, themed Response and Responsibility, will be held by Amnesty International Ireland in Galway. An impressive line-up of speakers, including Pippa Woolnough of the Immigrant council of Ireland, Lt. Stuart Donaldson of the Irish Navy, Luke Hamilton of the Irish Refugee Council, activist Holly Hughes, who has worked in Dunkirk in the refugee camps, and Dr. Conor Kenny of Médecins Sans Frontières will address some of the responses to the refugee crisis, and explore how human rights instruments can be used to push governments and decision makers to take greater responsibility. The event takes place in the Cornstore, Augustine Street, at the Galway 2020 Hub from 7 pm – 9 pm. Contact Gerri Creegan for more information, at amnestygalway@gmail.com. Join the Facebook event below:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1557708434302501
Amnesty International Galway 