It’s understood more than half of the international protection applicants who arrived at a Clare hotel last night have voted to leave the premises this morning.
34 men travelled by bus to Magowna House in Inch last night, where emergency accommodation is being provided in three bungalows on the site of the hotel that closed in 2019.
A barricade consisting of tractors and a car was put in place at the entrance last night by locals who are concerned that both the facility and local services aren’t sufficient to handle the influx of visitors.
A delegation attended a meeting with Clare County Council this morning, where they were told it was a Government decision to host the international protection applicants there and that the local authority is not involved in the provision of emergency accommodation at the mid-Clare hotel.
It’s understood the international protection applicants have been communicating with local residents, who’ve told Clare FM that 18 have voted to leave the premises over facility concerns, and a number have since walked away.
Sherif from Algeria says he’s been “left with no choice” but to travel to Dublin and that “they don’t accept us here. In Dublin, you can search for a job and find anyone to help you”.
An agreement was reached late last week with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to host up to 69 international protection applicants at Magowna House, with a contract in place for twelve months.
Local man Seamie Fitzpatrick says “We’ve the upmost of sympathy for these people, running from a war torn country.
“We’re thinking of them too. There isn’t even a shop here, there’s nothing here, a footpath.
“Why didn’t people consult with us first and we could have come to some sort of agreement. To spring 69 people on us at the press of a button, we think, is very unfair”.
The barricade remains in place this afternoon and locals say they plan to remain there for as long as it takes to get answers.
