Report flags migrant living conditions

MIGRANTS often end up sharing poor-quality, privately-rented housing and suffer theft and harassment from locals, according to a report published today.

The study, entitled Making a Home in Ireland, looks at the experiences of Chinese, Lithuanian, Indian and Nigerian migrants living in the Dublin suburb of Blanchardstown.

Published today by Focus Ireland and the Immigrant Council, it shows the poorest living conditions were found in the privately-rented sector, where the quality of accommodation was rated as average or bad.

It also states: “Overcrowding, combined with cost and other aspects of the quality of housing, were common reasons why people moved regularly in the privately rented sector.” In addition, the report finds that overcrowded living conditions, a lack of space, insecurity of tenure, damp housing, limited furnishings and landlords not carrying out repairs were commonly reported.

Some interviewees, who were undocumented, found there was no possibility of complaining about housing conditions or having access to local services. Access to local services and information was the highest in the Nigerian community and lowest in the Chinese community. Concerns were also raised about life outside of the home. “Many of those interviewed did not feel safe in their local neighbourhoods,” the report said.

“Several had experienced theft or harassment, and in some cases local people were not found to be friendly or welcoming.

“In contrast a number of interviewees found their local neighbours to be friendly and welcoming. Some respondents stated that it was a positive experience to live in a multicultural neighbourhood.” However, the report also indicates the quality of accommodation tends to improve the longer a person has been living in Ireland.

In its findings the report states migrant “clusters” can be a positive phenomenon, but steps need to be taken to prevent them becoming ghettos. It claims the Office for Social Inclusion needs to ensure that anti-poverty and social inclusion measures and policies address the rights of the most vulnerable migrants, and that greater integration between government departments is needed.

It says local authorities and other agencies need to work together to ensure neighbourhood planning, estate management, transport, community policing, housing, health, education, employment and access to community facilities are options for new communities.

It also recommends that a single, centralised electronic information resource should be developed to provide housing advice and support for migrants, and that no one should be denied access to emergency homelessness services on the grounds of habitual residency condition non-compliance.

* www.focusireland.ie www.immigrantcouncil.ie