Anti-asylum seeker fencing along Dublin’s Grand Canal is “exclusionary, racist and classist,” a group calling for its removal has said.

In an open letter to Waterways Ireland and the Government, the Take Back Our Spaces (TBOS) coalition warns that it will “continue to mobilize and escalate with direct action” if the fencing is not removed.

The fencing was erected after a multi-agency operation to remove asylum seeker tents from the banks of the canal in May.

Waterways Ireland has reportedly said it is costing €30,000 per week to maintain the fencing, which stretches from Grand Canal Street to Portobello.

Some of the fencing was temporarily pulled down after a protest in July; however, it was re-erected within hours.

Workers erect fencing along the Grand canal after tents belonging to homeless asylum seekers were removed, 30-05-2024. Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews

In the letter, TBOS labelled the barriers “tools of division and exclusion”.

“They are being used to weaponize the immigration issue in Ireland, particularly to divide working class communities that are already suffering from the deliberate degradation of social services, including public housing, healthcare and education,” it said.

“We demand that these barriers be taken down immediately.

“They are exclusionary, racist and classist.

“They are not a solution, but rather a symptom of a much larger problem – the failure to address the needs of the most vulnerable in our society.”

Members of the public pass tents belonging to asylum seekers along the Grand Canal, as news reports indicate the number of tents has now increased to above 100. Photograph: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

The group accused Waterways Ireland of fostering a “long-term policy” that prioritises “anti-homeless action and infrastructure” over its role restoring, developing and promoting Ireland's waterways.

“These fences are more than physical barriers that represent the deliberate exclusion of certain groups from public spaces and, by extension, from society,” it said.

“This exclusion is part of a broader pattern within our economic and political system that prioritizes the interests of capital over those of ordinary citizens.”

The situation on our canal is untenable.

The state's neglect of its duties to ensure adequate housing for all has been compounded by its inhumane evictions of our homeless neighbours seeking shelter and by its installation of fencing to prevent public use of public space. pic.twitter.com/5iCcdbdhUc

— Take Back Our Spaces (@takebackspaces) August 3, 2024

It claimed the barriers disproportionately affect not only asylum seekers and the homeless but also “working-class people” in general.

“Public spaces are meant to be inclusive areas that foster community and provide safe havens for all,” it said.

“However, the recent actions by Waterways Ireland, which cost an estimated €30,000 a week, have turned these spaces into sites of exclusion and hostility.

“This money could be better spent addressing the housing crisis by providing real solutions and support for those in need.”

The group made four demands of Waterways Ireland and the Government:

1. Remove the fencing of the Grand Canal.
2. No more hostile architecture.
3. Stop all evictions of those sleeping along the canal.
4. Secure accommodation, tenancy rights and right to union representation through CATU for everyone homeless and in temporary, IPAS and emergency accommodation.

It is urging the Government to redirect the funds used to maintain the barriers towards “genuine housing solutions".

Waterways Ireland has previously said that the fencing will remain in place for the summer months while it considers more long-term options like landscaping and architectural redesign to prevent tents from being pitched.

The area where migrants had been camping on Grand Canal blocked with barricades. Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews

In a statement, Waterways Ireland said it had not received any letter from the coalition.

It said the fencing was “not ideal” but insisted it is necessary for health and safety, “which is our overriding concern”.

The body said it is committed to reopening all sections of the canal as soon as possible – and it is currently exploring a number of options for the removal of the fencing.

It said those options include accelerating plans for a new “landscaping and biodiversity programme of works", which it aims to begin in October.

It confirmed that the fencing is currently costing around €30,000 per week to maintain.