Asylum seekers lodge 153 complaints against direct provision centres
The International Protection Accommodation Service received 153 complaints last year about standards or other issues faced by asylum seekers. Picture: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie
Lack of privacy, rules requiring the wearing of masks, and food that was too spicy were among official complaints made last year about direct provision centres.
The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS)received 153 complaints last year about standards or other issues faced by asylum seekers.
The highest number of complaints (48) were made about accommodation staff or management while 37 were logged over issues with accommodation.
There were 35 complaints registered regarding issues between residents and another 11 were made about where people were being housed, requests to move, or plans to transfer them to another centre.
Ten grievances were filed about house rules or centre operations, while three complaints were received from a third party.
Records also reveal four complaints about Covid-19 public health measures and sixteen complaints lodged about culinary preferences or the standard of food.
The IPAS also logged four complaints about missing or lost property, and four about transport arrangements available to centre residents.
One complaint was transferred to another public body, according to the record, while four grievances were categorised as “miscellaneous”.
A detailed log of three months of complaints reveals the type of issues that arose for asylum seekers living in direct provision centres.
In one case last April, a person complained about the noise of roommates while another had an issue with packed lunches that were being made available.
There were multiple cases where a resident had lodged a grievance about the staff at a centre with some saying “house rules” were not consistently enforced.
One resident complained about having to wear a mask in a common area while another said there was a problem with heating in their centre.
There was a grievance logged about food that was too spicy, a complaint about heat being turned off, and another from a young mum looking for a more suitable room for herself and her baby.
Another resident complained about staff having access to their bedroom and the lack of privacy involved.
Other issues listed on the IPAS log included the closing times for common areas, complaints about residents in the next room, and the allocation of a roommate.
Asked about the log of complaints, the International Protection Accommodation Service said that all issues were investigated and resolved if required.
A statement said: “When we receive a complaint from a resident, IPAS will investigate by communicating with the complainant, centre management staff, and any relevant third parties to gather information, before following up based on the findings of said investigation. The nature of the investigation and discussions carried out as part of it will depend on the substance of the complaint.
“It should be pointed out that many of the complaints are as a result of a misunderstanding or miscommunication and are usually amicably resolved with management once IPAS intervenes.”
