The co-ordinator of the Clare Immigrant Support Centre believes tented accommodation at Knockalisheen is being used as a ‘disincentive’ to people staying long periods of time in direct provision.
It comes as 80 asylum seekers had to sleep in tents in freezing conditions in Knockalisheen over the weekend.
The numbers living in direct provision have nearly doubled in the year to March from almost 10,500 in 2022 to just over 20,000 this month.
It comes as 52 people who have been granted international protection in Ireland have received letters informing them that they must leave their current direct provision centre and enter into emergency accommodation.
Some of those have been informed that they’re being moved to tented accommodation in Knockalisheen.
Bulelani Mfaco, resident at Knockalisheen direct provision centre fears that tented accommodation and the poor conditions which come with it are becoming normalised.
The Co-ordinator of the Clare Immigrant Support Centre feels the use of tented accommodation by the state is ‘mean-spirited’.
Minister for Integration, Roderic O’Gorman gave a commitment in December that the tents would no longer be used to house asylum seekers, however, this accommodation was once again used in early January.
Orla Ní Éilí of the Clare Immigrant Support Centre believes the measure is being used to deter international protection applicants from spending long periods of time in direct provision centres.
Listen back to the full interview here:
