A total of 376 International Protection Applicants are still awaiting an offer of accommodation from the State, according to the latest figures released by the Department of Integration on Tuesday.
Since December 4th last, some 500 eligible male International Protection Applicants have arrived in the country.
James Temitope (34), from Lagos, Nigeria, said on Tuesday that he has been sleeping on the streets since arriving in the country last Friday.
“It’s been difficult because there’s nowhere to sleep,” he said, standing outside the International Protection Office on Dublin’s Mount Street on Tuesday afternoon. “I’m feeling bad... I’m feeling unwell. I’m sick.”
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Mr Temitope said he came to Ireland because there was a threat against his life in his home country. “I came here to seek asylum, to seek protection.
“I have been threatened to be killed in my country, so I came here for protection,” he said.
Mr Temitope, who travelled to Ireland on his own, said he was planning on sleeping in a church on Tuesday evening. He was carrying a printout of addresses and contact details of homeless kitchens and shelters, as well as a bag and a suitcase.
Another man, from Georgia, was standing in a sheltered alleyway beside the International Protection Office. He said he was unsure whether he would have a place to stay on Tuesday night.
In the alleyway, sleeping bags, items of clothing and cardboard sheets could be seen, piled up and covered from the rain. Meanwhile, people – some carrying suitcases – lined up outside the office, waiting to be called inside.
Another applicant, also standing in the alleyway, did not want to discuss his case, but confirmed that he had not yet received an offer of accommodation.
A spokesperson for the Irish Refugee Council described the accommodation shortage as a “most serious situation that puts people at risk”.
“We don’t see an adequate plan in place to support people nor to turn the situation around and take people off the streets. We do believe that there is accommodation capacity that can be used.
“It should also be said that this is a breach of Irish and EU law. Unless urgent, all-of-government action is taken, this situation is going to further deteriorate,” the spokesperson added.
Since December, the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), a division of the Department of Integration, has struggled to provide beds for asylum seekers arriving in the country due to a “severe shortage” in accommodation.
At present, male applicants who present at the International Protection Office are assessed by IPAS and Health Service Executive (HSE) staff for “significant vulnerability and health issues”. Those at risk are prioritised for accommodation.
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