Sir, – John McManus describes the direct provision system as a “stain on the national conscience” and “some sort of Kafka-esque open-air prison” (“Government has quickly shelved its plan to end direct provision”, Opinion & Analysis, April 4th). However, the facts would suggest that such emotive language is somewhat misplaced.
Currently there are over 20,000 people living in direct provision, free to come and go as they please. Close to 6,000 have been granted leave to remain in this country, of which two-thirds are working but have chosen to remain in their accommodation rather than adding to the number of 13,000 homeless Irish citizens. Those asylum seekers, still awaiting a decision on their applications, are also free to work after six months.
After the publication in 2021 of the White Paper to establish a new international protection service, which effectively promised turn-key accommodation for asylum seekers, asylum applications in Ireland rose by 600 per cent as opposed to the EU average increase of just over 60 per cent.
Clearly, a rethink was required and the Government has now decided to introduce a more sustainable accommodation model, as well as a plan to improve all the other essential elements of the asylum process. – Yours, etc,
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MARTIN McDONALD,
Terenure,
Dublin 12.