Trapped in Direct Provision

By Michelle Mitchell

It is a well known fact that there is a serious housing crisis in Ireland at the moment, and as a result rental properties are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain and monthly prices becoming less affordable. The issues in relation to housing in Ireland are ones that seem to have affected people through all of the social class divides. Nevertheless whilst I do acknowledge that the housing crisis has had a profound negative affect on people from all walks of life, it has to be stated that the consequences of these effects vary and there are some social class groupings in society that have suffered far greater than others.

I would like to therefore draw you attention to the matter of asylum seekers in Ireland and how this scarcity of rental properties has affected their quest to find a home here after being granted Irish citizenship.  Firstly I would to state my reasons as to why I have chosen to highlight this issue above all else in relation to the housing crisis. I believe that it is an area for concern on a human rights level that we as a nation have chosen to ignore. When we think of the property market at the moment we tend to think of people losing their homes and rental increases, however what the Irish media has failed to do was to adequately provide information and draw attention to our new citizens that we are silently keeping suppressed and technically homeless by forcing them to live here under direct provision.

In the Irish Times this week, it was announced that after the Irish government granted over 600 asylum seekers citizenship in Ireland they are now unable to secure rental properties thus having to remain under direct provision once more.  Currently the Irish Refugee Council are actively campaigning to end direct provision for asylum seekers in Ireland as they feel it is a system that leaves people languishing for years. However the government have described their willingness to allow asylum seekers to remain on direct provision as an act of humanity. However asylum seekers disagree and are vigorously imploring with the Irish government to end this system of institutionalised living which results in people having no where to call home. It sees thousands of people including children, existing in our society instead of living in a country which held of the promise and the hope of a chance of at improved living conditions for them. It refuses them the opportunity to integrate and assimilate into Irish society and thus in many respects it denies them an identity that they so truly deserve. Having to rely on direct provision restricts them in becoming active and concerned members of society and hence they remain alienated from the environment around them. This in effect allows xenophobia and prejudice to being to develop.  Direct provision also confines the extent to which asylum seekers can flourish in Irish society as without a home and a decent living wage, asylum seekers are limited in their choices surrounding their involvement in society.

Although I have just merely touched on some of the many negative implications for asylum seekers living under direct provision, I believe the problem of not being able to secure rental property despite being granted citizenship in Ireland is that of a major concern. It is a matter of equality and basic human rights. If this problem is not dealt with as a matter of priority by the government we are effectively giving these people a life sentence in limbo. We are denying them to be fully active Irish citizens that other Irish people enjoy. We are subjecting their children to a life of insecurity and confinement which will undoubtedly result in a social divide amongst their peers and needless to say severe emotional issues. All of which have been mentioned in interviews by individuals relying on direct provision.  Therefore I would  like to conclude this piece by reiterating a previous point I made; the government must act now to allow rental properties to become more obtainable for people on low incomes or social welfare payments. Whether this is in the form of reviewing the rent allowance welfare policy or making more houses available on the social housing scheme, the solution is there and must be found promptly and dealt with accordingly.




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