Coalition fails to deal with asylum seeker crux

The Government has failed to get to grips with a broken asylum seeker system while the general public “could not care less”, a leading academic claimed yesterday.

Liam Thornton, a lecturer in law and a director of clinical legal education in University College Dublin, said many asylum seekers living in Direct Provision had been left in a “shadow social welfare system”, living off €19.10 a week, and facing years of uncertainty within a system operated by the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA).

Mr Thornton was reacting to the publication in the media of previously unpublished inspection reports into Direct Provision centres around the country, which raised concerns over fire safety, hygiene standards and child protection concerns, among other issues.