‘No further offers of accommodation can be made’: Almost 100 asylum seekers in Dublin handed letters

Around 100 men who have been queuing outside the International Protection Office (IPO) in Mount Street have been handed letters which outline there will be “no further offers of accommodation” at this time.

The numbers of male asylum seekers attending at Mount Street offices continuously increased on Thursday afternoon, and many of these slept rough on Wednesday night.

A total of 285 asylum seekers were brought from an encampment on Mount Street to new accommodation in Crooksling and Citywest in a major operation on Wednesday morning.

After the tents were cleared and the street cleaned, others were brought to accommodation in Swords on Wednesday evening, though some were left without any accommodation due to a lack of space and not being present during the move.

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Speaking outside the IPO on Thursday, many said they had arrived at 7am, having been unable to access a bed on Wednesday night and having heard a bus would be “organised” on Thursday morning.

By 2pm about 100 men were queuing outside and waiting on the road off Mount Street to the IPO premises. Just before 3pm the men were handed letters which explained an update on the situation.

“An operation was carried out yesterday to move all applicants found camping at Mount Street area into designated IPAS centres. Those interested applicants who were awaiting an initial offer of accommodation and found at the site during this operation were offered a bed at Crookslings or Citywest.

“Due to the accommodation shortage within IPAS no further offers of accommodation can be made at this time. We have recorded your details and when appropriate accommodation becomes available, we will contact you by email with an offer.”

It is understood men without accommodation on Wednesday night slept in the city-centre, on the seafront south of the city centre, in churches and with friends.

Earlier on Thursday, workmen reinforced barriers erected around the pavements to prevent tents being pitched.

About 30 asylum seekers were brought back to the IPO after being taken to accommodation in Swords on Wednesday evening. Just after 9am on Thursday, a coach bus pulled up to the IPO when about 30 men got off.

They had been brought to accommodation in Swords yesterday evening, though they were told it was for one night only. Others told The Irish Times they were not provided any alternative accommodation and were left to wander the streets or find new tents on Wednesday night.

Ladi, a 19-year-old from Albania said those brought to the accommodation in Swords “slept on the floor” and were woken early this morning to be brought back to Mount Street.

“They told us you can stay just for one night, no more,” he said adding: “I think they will give me a tent.”

Ladi arrived to Northern Ireland five days ago, and slept in a park for two nights without a sleeping bag, he said.

After this, he was accommodated by Albanian men in Belfast until they brought him to the IPO in Dublin yesterday, he said.

Meanwhile, several men who were not accommodated during yesterday’s operation were waiting outside the IPO early on Thursday morning.

Omar, a 23-year-old from Somalia was among a group to get a new tent and pitch it near O’Connell Street.

“Hopefully we can get accommodation,” he said.

Three men from Nigeria who did not wish to be named waited for hours to be taken on a bus to new accommodation yesterday in Citywest or Crooksling.

Once the IPO office closed yesterday evening, those left behind were “forgotten”, and left standing on Mount Street without their tents, they said.

The group were able to get new tents from homeless charity The Lighthouse and pitched them close to the city centre.

Some of those who were not accommodated were using drop-in services at the time of the operation, and came back to find their belongings cleared “just like that”.

One of the men was at an appointment while the tents were being cleared, and said he does not know where his luggage is.

Another man from Nigeria who has been in Ireland since December said he was attending drop-in services when his tent was cleared.

“We went to Citywest and they said there is no accommodation for you, your names are not there, you have to go back again,” he said, adding that they took the luas back to the city centre.

“And then we came back here again and gardaí said we can’t stay here tonight and we had to go look for where to stay and get another tent,” he said.

A 53-year-old from South Africa who missed yesterday’s buses as he went to take a shower said he walked the streets throughout the night, as he did not have a tent or sleeping bag.

“I went to bathe and when I came back, there was nobody here,” he said adding: “I really need accommodation, look at my age.”

Volunteers who have been providing support to those sleeping in tents at the IPO helped about 15 men who were left without accommodation on Wednesday night, they said, helping them to secure tents and find somewhere safe for the night.

Others who were offered accommodation at the Crooksling site left and returned to the city centre, due to the remote location and sleeping conditions, the Volunteers said.

Aubrey McCarthy, chair of Tiglin at the Lighthouse, said the charity gave out 27 tents and sleeping bags on Wednesday night.

“I was surprised last night that the queue was still big,” he said.

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