Gardaí receive complaints as centre evicts asylum seekers

THREE asylum seekers have been evicted from the same accommodation centre in the past few months and two separate complaints have been lodged with gardaí, it was revealed yesterday.

Gardaí in Donegal confirmed that the owner of Cliff View Holiday Hostel in Donegal Town and an asylum seeker from Sudan who had been staying at the centre have both lodged complaints relating to the same incident.

Sgt Tom Mitchell said that a statement had already been taken by gardaí in Limerick, where the asylum seeker is now living, and that other statements would be taken before a file is prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. He said he had personally taken a statement from the owner of the centre, Shane Timony.

“I have taken statements from others in the hotel and Mr Timony,” Sgt Mitchell said.

It is understood that the asylum seeker attended a local hospital following the incident and before he was expelled from the centre.

In a separate incident, one asylum seeker, believed to be from Morocco, is understood to have assaulted another asylum seeker from Syria by hitting him over the head with a brick.

The Syrian was hospitalised as a result of the incident and both men were evicted from the centre. It is now understood, however, that both asylum seekers are now being accommodated in the same Dublin mosque.

Sgt Mitchell confirmed that gardaí had been called to a second incident at the accommodation centre in Donegal Town and that two other asylum seekers had been evicted.

“A number of people were evicted from the centre for ongoing bad behaviour over a period of months,” he added.

Edward Horgan of the Centre for Care of Survivors of Torture and Spirasi, a group which helps asylum seekers, said he had spoken to the asylum seekers involved in both incidents.

“While I cannot be specific for reasons of client confidentiality I am aware that there have been two incidents of serious assault on asylum seekers in Cliff House Hostel in Donegal Town,” he said.

Mr Timony was unavailable for comment yesterday as he is currently out of the country and another staff member at the hostel said they were unable to comment on the matter at this time.