Homeless asylum seekers in Dublin fear attacks and impending cold – The Irish Times

As temperatures drop to four degrees on Thursday evening, about 25 homeless asylum seekers sleeping in makeshift tents in a sheltered area in south Dublin are worried about colder, darker nights.

“I'm fine, yes, but it's very cold,” says a man in his twenties from Jordan, who is spending his fourth night in Ireland. “I only have a jacket and a sleeping bag. I think I might need more.”

Mohammed (26) from the Palestinian West Bank has been here for a month. “We are still on the streets. Tonight it is even colder, there is no heating. Of course we are worried because the weather is getting even colder. A person cannot stand too much cold – it is bad for the bones and joints.”

Ahmed (47) from Jordan agrees that it is cold, but is more afraid of being attacked in the tent.

Another Jordanian says he and a friend take turns sleeping, and one of them keeps watch all night. “Outside, you don't know if there are attacks. Yesterday, someone came to another place in a taxi and wanted to fight with us. He hit the tents with knives and cut everything,” he says, pointing to the tents. “We sleep with our eyes open.”

Those working with homeless asylum seekers are calling for a “cold weather strategy” to be introduced for homeless asylum seekers, similar to the one the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) provides for homeless people on an annual basis. Otherwise, they say, the DRHE's cold weather plan should be extended to these asylum seekers. They are not entitled to access the emergency accommodation the DRHE provides.

“This group is particularly vulnerable because they don't have access to homeless shelters,” says Aubrey McCarthy, president of Tiglin's Homeless Services, who did outreach work at the camp. “Any cold weather initiative, regardless of ethnicity, must take into account everyone sleeping on the streets. Otherwise, there is a risk of potential deaths.”

He stressed that Tiglin had worked with the homeless for “many years” and said: “Tonight is the first [time] For months now, people have been shaking hands on the street, and every hand is ice cold. And it's only September. We put out an appeal for hats and gloves. There was a shortage of men's clothing. [A bank] made a collection for us this week and we have more warm clothes, but gloves and hats are indispensable.”

[ ‘You feel you’re doing the State’s work’: volunteers step in to help asylum seekersOpens in new window ]

Nick Henderson, executive director of the Irish Refugee Council, called for “immediate action [to] Measures must be taken to ensure that the basic needs of applicants for international protection are met… as winter approaches.

“We are deeply concerned about the number of applicants for international protection without accommodation,” he said. Figures released on Friday show that the number of male adult asylum seekers rose to 2,612 – 24 more than on Tuesday.

Henderson says: “The High Court ruled in July that support for unhoused [applicants] inadequate and that the inability to meet basic needs, particularly in terms of accommodation and hygiene, places people in a ‘deeply vulnerable and frightening situation which undermines their human dignity’ and constitutes a breach of EU law.

“The court expressed the expectation that the state would respond appropriately. Six weeks have now passed since the court's decision and, to our knowledge, there has been no formal response from the government or change in policy.”

Volunteers have been working with this group since March, when large-scale camps were set up following a decision that single adult male applicants for international protection would not be offered accommodation when presented to the International Protection Office. They say the camps “cannot continue into the winter”.

A volunteer who wishes to remain anonymous says she has “really serious concerns about the weather” and “serious concerns about the safety of the men [as nights are dark for longer] and for volunteers who set up camps every day, as camps are constantly being cleared.”

Another woman, who has also been helping homeless men since March, says she is “exhausted… I'm worried about the winter, the cold, the constant traveling, the attacks.”

They say: “There is an urgent need for warm men’s jackets, blankets, duvets, hats and gloves as well as hot water bottles.”

Since 4 December, 5,334 single men have contacted International Protection Accommodation Services requesting accommodation. Of these, 2,175 have been offered accommodation and 547 have been accommodated following triage.

A spokesman for the Department of Integration said staff were “working very closely with four homeless charities in Dublin to provide hot meals, showers and a place to rest. Some of these organisations have extended their opening hours to better serve people who have not previously been offered accommodation.”

“The Ministry continues to work hard to find, develop and open suitable accommodation options so that we can provide adequate and safe accommodation to all people applying for international protection.

“To address the shortage, dormitories like Thornton Hall and others are being developed and put into operation.”

A DRHE spokeswoman said the cold weather strategy would be released in October.