A GROUP of asylum seekers who began refusing food on Monday over conditions at their accommodation centre in Co Laois has called off the protest.
The asylum seekers, who are staying at the Montague Hotel in Emo, had complained of unfair treatment, substandard food and toilets, and insensitive staff. Their protest began on Monday afternoon, when they refused to eat in the centre's canteen.
However, after mediation by representatives of the Irish Refugee Council and Fine Gael justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan the asylum seekers agreed to suspend their protest yesterday evening. A meeting will be held between residents and management next week to discuss their grievances.
It was unclear how many of the residents were engaged in the protest. A letter circulated by the group put their number at 200, but the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) said it understood "a small number" of individuals were involved. One protester, who spoke on condition of anonymity said: "We're very happy in this country. We're happy with the system, but we feel the staff should treat us with respect."
Another asylum seeker, a young woman, said the group were boycotting the centre's food and toilets, which she claimed were substandard.
"What we want them to do is, if they cannot employ new people, they should train their staff to deal with people with respect."
A spokeswoman for the Refugee Council said allegations of racism were denied by management.
"It's important that there are clear lines of communication," she said. "If there is ever an incident that is perceived to be racist, it needs to be dealt with, but it's a two-way street and there has to be respect on both sides.
"Asylum seekers have to respect that there's a code of conduct there. We feel there needs to be respect and they need to be listened to."
In a statement, the RIA said neither it nor the centre's management had received any contact from the residents before the protest.