Asylum seekers demand changes to system

ASYLUM seekers yesterday protested outside Leinster House, demanding changes to the current system which they said meant some people living in direct provision for six years or more.

A crowd of up to 200 asylum seekers travelled from around the country to attend the demonstration, many holding placards complaining about conditions in hostels and about the length of time taken to process cases.

Among the signs were those which read “RIP human rights, End cruelty in hostels — enough is enough” and “Fine Gael and Labour — remember your promises for asylum seekers”.

The protest was organised by asylum seekers and Residents Against Racism, and the demonstrators later moved from Leinster House, where they were addressed by Sinn Féin TD Aengus O’Snodaigh outside the Department of Justice building on Stephen’s Green.

One of the protesters, who did not wish to be named, said he was one of 25 people who had travelled from Sligo to attend the protest, which demonstrators said was the first of its kind in Ireland.

“We are being treated like we are in a modern prison,” he said of the direct provision system.

Organisers said they wanted to protest to highlight a number of issues, including the rights of children born in Ireland, the right to residency and to work, the closure of direct provision centres and an end to lengthy processing of applications and to deportations.

Sacdia Adan said she had been in Ireland for five years, having fled from Mogadishu in Somalia, and despite having two children she still did not know the status of her application for asylum.

Another woman, Lana from Moldova, said she had been in Ireland for four years, and now had a 3-year-old son, and was also unsure of her status.

Two friends from the Congo, Goodluck and Kamulate, who are in direct provision in Galway, said they did not understand how countries such as the United States could advise their citizens not to travel to the Congo, yet some people were deported back there.

“I know 10 people who have got a letter of deportation this year, and they are from Congo,” Kamulate said. He added that he was a diabetic and yet still had to share a room and toilets with others.

A Nigerian woman who did not wish to be named said she had been in the system six years and was recently told she would be deported.

Success Akanni, a 9-year-old girl who lives in Galway but is originally from Nigeria, said she was attending school but her family had still not received an answer regarding their case, three years after moving here.

Somalian Cabdiqaadir Abukar said he was still awaiting a decision on his case, yet other countries had already made changes to their asylum policies regarding Somalian citizens, given the disastrous state of that country. Other protests are planned in the coming months.