Over 100 protestors took part in a march in Dublin this evening appealing for the Government to provide better accommodation to asylum seekers.
The march began at the International Protection Office (IPO) on Mount Street and finished at the Department of Integration on Baggot Street.
Mount Street had been branded as ‘tent city’ in recent weeks as hundreds of asylum seekers had been sleeping rough there in tents before they were controversially removed and brought to Crooksling over the St Patrick’s Day weekend.
Over 100 people have marched from the international protection office to the Department of Integration in Dublin this evening.
The protesters are calling on the Government to put in place a policy for accommodating registered asylum seekers. pic.twitter.com/jTcs5Qdz3e
— Barry Whyte (@BarryWhyte85) March 19, 2024
One man who attended the march today told Newstalk it wasn’t good enough.
“When you see the facilities, they are living in, it is appalling,” he said.
“There are no toilets, no washing facilities and some of them [asylum seekers] have medical conditions now as a result of their living conditions.”
'It's wet, it's miserable, there are no toilets or showers. This is nowhere for somebody to be staying.' @BarryWhyte85 reports from Dublin’s asylum seeker ‘Tent City’ where volunteer groups are warning of a growing ‘humanitarian emergency.’ pic.twitter.com/8ORuvGXVpw
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) March 14, 2024
Another protestor said Government is failing to help asylum seekers.
“What is happening here is utterly disgraceful,” she said.
“These people have rights and this is being ignored.
“The Government is responsible for this – they could house these people tomorrow if they wanted to.”
There are currently 1,323 male international protection applicants without Government-provided accommodation in Ireland.
Reporting by Barry White.
Main image: Protestors outside the International Protection Office in Dublin today. Image: Sasko Lazarov / © RollingNews.ie
