The fear that asylum seekers are not fingerprinted and vetted is among the “biggest myths”, according to Irish Independent Political Editor Hugh O’Connell.
Amid the increased protests, there are also concerns about misinformation spreading about how asylum seekers arrive in Ireland.
Mr O’Connell noted single male asylum seekers are often referred to as “military-aged”, which has “terrible connotations”.
“One of the biggest myths we have is these people are unvetted when they come into the country,” he told The Anton Savage Show.
“These people are fingerprinted when they come into the country.
“Their fingerprints and names are checked against international databases – if there is a record of criminality they are dealt with differently.”
He noted different countries’ criminal justice systems may differ from Ireland’s, but the vetting process still needs to be “taken into account”.
Several protests have taken place across the country in recent weeks against the use of accommodation for asylum seekers, particularly single men.
'No real view on migration'
Mr O’Connell said the growing attention on asylum seekers is more likely due to protestors rather than the number of people coming into the country.
“It's the fermenting of the reaction to the numbers,” he said.
“The riots were largely people engaging in anti-social behaviour who had no real view or ideological association with migration.”
According to figures released by the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS), 334 asylum seekers arrived in Ireland between January 1st and January 7th.
Some 18,005 international protection applicants are living in emergency accommodation, 3,621 of which are children.
County Donegal has the highest rate of asylum seeker occupancy with 1,679 people currently in emergency accommodation or IPAS centres.
Asylum seekers in Ireland
Director of Powerscourt Springs Health Firm Adrienne Sweeney said recent figures reflect “a lot of discontent around the country”.
“A lot of communities and rural areas feel they have an unfair burden placed on them without a huge number of services,” she said.
“I know a lot of people have a lot of fears around it and it’s a communication thing the Government hasn't dealt with yet.”
She noted the Government need to find a solution to accommodate vulnerable people while ensuring locals have adequate resources and communications.
“Immigration is an issue that is not going to go away, and it’s intrinsically linked with the housing crisis,” she said.
“It's the perfect storm.”
Protests most recently broke out in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, over suspected plans to use the Racket Hall hotel to house 160 international protection applicants.
Listen back here:
