Ten Ukrainians issued with notices to leave centre following abuse of staff

Ten Ukrainians have been served with notice to leave hotel they are being accommodated in. Picture: istock

A group of 10 Ukrainians being accommodated in a hotel in the south of the country has been issued with notices to leave the centre, in a move which has been criticised by an immigrant support organisation.

The notices, seen by the Irish Examiner, say that the move is being made following “repeated abuse of staff by several Ukrainian visitors”.

The notice said that “several guests will be asked to leave permanently”, adding that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has been notified. It concluded that those affected will need to find alternative accommodation at their own expense.

The centre is currently providing temporary accommodation to 17 people, including children.

Fiona Hurley, chief executive of Nasc, said that the organisation has been made aware that 10 residents have been issued with notices to leave the centre. She understands that two children are among the group. No date has been given for when the group must leave.

She said: “The residents we have spoken are extremely upset and are worried about what will happen next. IPAS has been contacted in relation to these developments.” 

She added that Nasc is concerned about “an alleged lack of due process”.

She continued: “This incident points to a need for safeguards to be put in place for beneficiaries of temporary protection living in congregated settings including former hotels. These centres are now people's homes, and there should be a clear procedure in place before residents are issued with notices to leave unilaterally by centre managers. Eviction notices should be a measure of last resort, reserved for the most serious of cases.” 

She said Nasc is calling for an independent complaints mechanism “so that residents can safely raise concerns about their accommodation without fear that it will negatively impact on their living conditions”.

In recent weeks, a letter from the residents of the centre, located in the south of the country, was sent to the Minister for Integration, Roderic O’Gorman, Minister for State, Joe O’Brien, and agencies working with Ukrainians who have fled to Ireland because of the war in their homeland.

The letter outlined: “Vomiting, Diarrhea (sic) are now commonplace and on more than 3 occasions no guest ate because it was simply uneatable (sic), one guest even had to leave the dining room to get sick after putting rotten spoiled food into his mouth.” 

It added: “Both the administrator and chef have been seen drinking alcohol during working hours and on two occasions the chef has been so drunk he was staggering and had to hold onto the wall to remain upright.” 

Health and safety concerns have also been highlighted, with the letter saying there are a number of leaks in the centre.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth said incidences of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection being asked to leave short-term emergency accommodation due to anti-social behaviour are “rare”.

She acknowledged that the department is aware of the situation but does not comment on individual cases.

She said that while the department has a responsibility to provide suitable temporary accommodation to displaced people fleeing war, there is a responsibility on those people to be of “good conduct towards one another and towards providers and staff providing assistance.” 

She continued: “Together, in cooperation with accommodation providers and implementation partners, we can provide and maintain an accommodation environment where respectful, open and equal relationships are the norm. As set out in the anti-social behaviour policy, such behaviour may lead to accommodation being withdrawn with no further offers of accommodation being made.”