Direct Provision: An Inhumane System That Needs Abolished
It has been inspiring to see so many people stand in solidarity with the protesters in America as they fight against the institutionalised racism they face every single day, in light of the murder of George Floyd. We too need to do our part in highlighting the racism that exists in Ireland and overcome this. Direct Provision is a stain on our society and it is horrible how these vulnerable people are being treated. Leo Varadker has felt the need to defend this as “It's not the same thing as a man being killed by the police." Is this the standard we really should be setting in how we treat people? There is no excuse for treating people in such a degrading way.
Direct Provision was established in 1999 in response to an increase in the number of people seeking asylum in Ireland. Under this system, they would be provided accommodation with full board, along with a small personal allowance, whilst they are awaiting a decision on their asylum application.
It was originally entailed that asylum seekers would only stay at a Direct Provision centre for a maximum of six months. This simply hasn’t happened. The average stay for residents is currently three years and eight months. The impact this has on the physical and mental well-being of the residents can’t be understated, their lives are practically put on hold for many years. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination acknowledged in a report the “ negative impact that the policy of ‘Direct Provision’ has had on the welfare of asylum seekers who, due to the inordinate delay in the processing of their applications, and the final outcomes of their appeals and reviews, as well as poor living conditions, can suffer health and psychological problems that in certain cases lead to serious mental illness.”
For young people growing up in Direct Provision, they have had to face being stigmatised by people for where they live and have been targeted for this. A number of children have been in Direct Provision since they were born, they know no other way of life. The Irish Refugee Council reported that young people living in Direct Provision centres are at a greater risk of having depression or suicidal thoughts. Many feel uncomfortable and fear for their safety living in a close confined environment with people from outside their family. They are also disadvantaged from an educational point of view. Asylum-seeking children can attend primary and secondary school free of charge on the same basis as other children. Even if they perform really well at school, they are basically locked out of attending third-level education or non-vocational further education courses. Asylum seekers need to cover the cost of the college fees, which proves to be too expensive and prohibits access to third level education for many. Although grants and scholarships are available for asylum seekers to attend college, this is a very limited number and most don’t qualify.
The opportunities available to residents of Direct Provision centres are greatly restricted. Although the Supreme Court ruling in 2018 meant that residents could now legally work, they still face a number of obstacles before this can happen. Asylum seekers can only access the labour market after spending nine months in the system. In order to work, they must also have a bank account and other documents which has proved difficult for many to obtain. Furthermore, even if they find employment then they need to start paying towards the cost of their accommodation.
One of the most damning aspects of Direct Provision is the small number of private firms who benefit from this system to the tune of millions of euros per year. Only seven of the thirty nine centres are state owned, with the other thirty seven being operated by private firms. Since 2000, €1.3 billion has been handed over to private catering and hospitality firms, who have been contracted by the State. Despite being paid so much money, many of these firms running these centres aren’t providing anywhere near adequate services. What we have here is a small number of private firms who are exploiting a highly vulnerable group of people for huge profit margins.
The Direct Provision system reflects a deep lack of empathy and respect towards asylum seekers, many of whom have had to flee their home countries due to fear of losing their lives. They have had their right to privacy stripped away from them, having to share rooms with up to eight other people; and in some centres, management and staff have entered into rooms to carry out inspections without asking for permission. Only a small number of centres are actually fully self-catering, with most just serving residents food over the counter in a canteen style. Residents don’t have the ability to cook for themselves or their families as the facilities to do so aren’t provided. There have been a large number of reports from residents that the quality of food being served isn’t good enough. Also, the food being served doesn’t take into account the cultural differences of the residents, they come from a range of different countries where the cuisine they are accustomed to is completely different.
The sad case of Sylva Tukula emphasises the urgent need for Direct Provision to be abolished. Despite being a transgender woman, Sylva was placed by the State in a male-only centre. After she passed away, her friends were assured that they’d be informed of her funeral arrangements. However, Sylva was buried without any mourners, her loved ones weren’t notified. Although only one case, it demonstrates the complete lack of compassion and empathy from successive governments, including the current one, to people in Direct Provision. They’ve had the power to abolish this system but have decided not to do so. They are complicit in the suffering of thousands of people.
There are approximately 6300 people currently living in Direct Provision centres. Every single one of them deserves better. Abolish Direct Provision now.
https://www.change.org/p/people-power-end-direct-provision-in-ireland
le Tiarna Matthews