The Trinity Young Green Party, Trinity Vincent de Paul and Trinity Politics Society co-hosted an online panel yesterday evening to discuss the end of Direct Provision – Ireland’s reception system for asylum seekers.
Amanda Nyoni, a representative from the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI), Roderic O’Gorman, Green Party politician and Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, and Nick Henderson, Chief Executive of the Irish Refugee Council, all joined the panel to discuss how Ireland can improve its approach to asylum seekers.
“Direct Provision isn’t fit for purpose”, O’Gorman stated within the first minute of the Zoom panel, adding that the system doesn’t “respect the people living” in it or account for their “dignity”.
Under Direct Provision, asylum seekers are housed across Ireland in communal institutional centres or former hospitality or hotel-style buildings.
Nyoni, who spoke on behalf of MASI, stated that the organisation’s aim is to end Direct Provision on the basis that “it does not serve anyone, especially the people in the system”. Nyoni argued that “it doesn’t work as the majority of asylum seekers have experienced trauma”. Despite this, refugees in these settings are forced to closely cohabit with strangers from different backgrounds, without their different ethnicities or religious beliefs being taken into consideration.
When the state first introduced the system of Direct Provision, “one of the core issues”, O’Gorman said, was that “the state stepped away from obligations to house people and franchised it out to the private sector”. Consequently, “the state wasn’t able to monitor what was going on”. Now, most of the centres are managed by profit-driven private contractors who don’t prioritize the welfare of the people concerned.
Nyoni explained that one of the key problems of the Direct Provision system is “the lack of accountability” shown by the management of the centres. Often, “people affected in the system are afraid to reach out”, Nyoni said. Additionally, asylum seekers are often “told that [their issues] will be dealt with and nothing will ever come to the surface”. However, the lines of responsibility are often blurred in such instances, between the management of the individual centre and the duties of the International Protection Accommodation Service and local authorities.
At the sudden onset of the coronavirus pandemic, many people in Direct Provision centres were inadequately looked after. Nyoni highlighted that in some centres “half of the stuff in the kitchen has been shut out to enable social distancing but the capacity of people hasn’t changed”.
In terms of immediate improvements, O’Gorman set out his intentions to establish more efficient procedures which will allow people in the Direct Provision system to enter employment quicker. Within this, he suggested easier access to bank accounts and cars, as well as implementing a “vulnerability test” that will offer enhanced support to victims of sexual violence and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
O’Gorman is currently drafting the “White Paper”, which will act as a guide for Ireland’s “vision” for its new system to accommodate asylum seekers. Ultimately, it’s aim is to end Direct Provision as we know it, and move towards a more humanitarian model.
During the panel discussion, Nick Henderson shared his screen on Zoom to show a model of eight possible alternative systems. Another facet of the Direct Provision problem, he explained, is that its responsibility lies with the Department of Justice, but it “needs to be a mainstream housing policy”.
While he couldn’t highlight a preference from the proposed models “without government decision”, O’Gorman assured listeners that whichever model the government decides upon, it will “not be for-profit”.
Ireland has promised to take in only four unaccompanied minors for protection this year, and while O’Gorman recognised that this number is too small, he explained that “money is not an excuse but a reality”. With Ireland’s national budget being fixed in the coming weeks, O’Gorman expressed hopes to acquire long-term funding so that Ireland can consistently provide safe refuge to asylum seekers.
So, what can students do? Nyoni’s main advice was to educate yourself and those close to you on Direct Provision. She recommended raising awareness by talking about it, sharing information on social media platforms, and following MASI to receive regular updates. Above all, Nyoni advised students to get involved with their local Direct Provision Centre and reach out to someone in the system – even if it’s just a cup of coffee.
