Life in prison is better than living on the streets of Dublin, according to one homeless asylum seeker.

Doak from Pakistan arrived in Ireland in March when he was handed a six-week sentence in Cloverhill Prison for not having his travel documents.

He is one of over 1,600 asylum seekers without accommodation in the State, according to Department of Integration figures released today.

“When I came in March [to Ireland], they sent me to prison and yesterday I was released from Cloverhill,” he told Newstalk.

“They said I didn’t have the right documents and they sent me to Cloverhill - I don’t have a passport.

“They sent me for six weeks and yesterday I completed my sentence.”

'Prison is better'

Doak preferred life in Cloverhill to the streets of Dublin.

“Prison is better than this situation - I don’t have anything,” he said.

“I don’t have food; I don’t have accommodation and we don’t know where we’re staying – it’s a big problem.

“We don’t know where we’re going tonight.”

Asylum seeker tents outside the International Protection Office on Mount Street in Dublin, 27-5-23. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

This morning, around 15 asylum seekers were moved from a park in Ballsbridge where they had pitched tents to sleep in last night.

It followed a multi-agency operation over the weekend where around 200 asylum seekers living in tents on Mount Street were moved elsewhere and warned they would be prosecuted if they returned and pitched tents.

Some were sent to a site in Crooksling and others dispersed around the city.

A tent left behind by homeless asylum seekers as they were moved on from St Mary's Church Park today. Image: Barry Whyte/Newstalk

Raff from Afghanistan said he came to Dublin from the UK and is now also homeless in the city.

“I came from [Great Britain to Northern Ireland] by boat and to Dublin; we don’t have another way to come here,” he said.

“I lived in the UK for three months and the rules are very different there – they can’t give us legal documents.

“[Asylum seekers] have stayed there for a long time but they never get legal documents – they are still waiting.”

Fences line Mount Street to block asylum seekers from pitching tents. Image: Barry Whyte/Newstalk

Raff is unsure of what lies ahead for him.

“They said they can give me one-night accommodation and after that, we don’t have anything for you,” he said.

“We don’t have anything to eat, we don’t have anything.”

From December of last year, 2,898 ‘eligible males’ have sought asylum in Ireland.

Of these, 1,676 are waiting for an offer of accommodation.

Additional reporting by Robert Kindregan. 

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Main image: Tents housing asylum seekers on Mount Street last month. Image: Leah Farrell/© RollingNews.ie