Some 20 asylum seekers with tents, some of whom arrived to Ireland on Thursday morning, were cleared from the Grand Canal in Dublin within minutes of arriving on Thursday night.
Several gardaí were at the site shortly before 10pm after receiving reports of trespassing from Waterways Ireland security staff who were patrolling the area near the International Protection Office.
The men had set up tents shortly after 9.30pm but were told to leave by gardaí who arrived at the site about 15 minutes later as it was private property owned by Waterways Ireland.
The asylum seekers left the area shortly before 11pm, and were seen walking towards the city centre.
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One man (48) from Darfur in Sudan said he has been consistently told to move on wherever he pitches the tent provided to him by homeless services.
“We are told we have to move, every day, a different place,” he said, coughing, explaining that he was sick from sleeping outdoors.
Some of those present had been sleeping in hostels but could no longer afford to do so, while others had sought refuge in mosques.
While offers of accommodation are currently coming “much faster” than previously, charities are currently identifying and referring those who remain unaccommodated to International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS).
“You have to become a visible rough sleep to be offered accommodation,” said volunteer Olivia Headon.
Offers can still take days for new arrivals sleeping rough, while others have left or were “kicked out” of IPAS accommodation due to disputes or altercations and have been on the streets for weeks, according to volunteers who wished to remain anonymous.
“The issue isn’t now that you have people on the streets for a long period, it’s that you have a constant stream of people on the streets,” Ms Headon said.
“The most safe place they’ve been is on the canal, even though they still get attacked on the canal,” she added.
Nick Henderson, chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council, who was present, described such clearings as “appalling”.
“Is it really in the interest of justice to move people on from a small piece of grassland late at night at the beginning of winter?” he said. “We are extremely concerned about situations like this.
“As we see it, Government policy is forcing people into a dilemma where they are having to sleep rough and put themselves at risk of harm to try to be considered eligible for accommodation,” he said.
Alternatively, those without State-provided shelter can try to source their own accommodation, though this is likely to be “precarious” which puts them at risk of exploitation, he said.
“Volunteers are supporting people in extraordinary circumstances and we have a policy from Waterways Ireland to move people, who are in extremely difficult circumstances, on to nowhere,” he said.
With the winter months approaching, he said the current situation is “unsustainable”.
“It needs to end, we need Government to play a part and we need Dublin City Council to play a part,” he said adding the council should be able to provide temporary or emergency services or supports.
“The Department of Children and Integration are not able to manage this issue, and are not supporting people,” he said.
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