Temporary work permits which buy dignity and freedom. Accessible legal advice. Language translation. And State funding for some continuing friendly professional support.
Many Irish people have enjoyed such basic human rights in states beyond these shores, and many more know what it feels like to be denied them. Yet, in spite of all the publicity that the refugee issue has already received in the Dublin area, when asylum-seekers slept rough when accommodation ran short, mistakes are likely to be repeated in the west.
The apparently ad-hoc nature of the Government's national dispersal policy, and the absence of State services beyond the Pale, have the potential to create a negative atmosphere for over 120 asylum-seekers sent to emergency accommodation in Galway city and county over the past six weeks; a county which has already had difficulty in relation to integration of Travellers in communities.
That's why the Galway Refugee Support Group has appealed to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr O'Donoghue, to allocate £50,000 for a refugee support worker and office.
Such a post is essential for the successful operation of the dispersal programme, according to the voluntary group. Currently the 60 people staying in a hotel in Salthill, Galway, the 25 in a hostel in Cong and the 40 in Clifden have only the services of the Western Health Board's community welfare officers (CWOs) to rely on.
The CWOs provide the supplementary welfare allowance and medical cards and arrange for health screening, while accommodation is the responsibility of the local authority. Last year the Western Health Board set up a regional advisory committee to support local county management committees dealing with the issue.
However, the Galway Refugee Support Group maintains that there is a great need for continuing support for asylum-seekers new to the country, having great language difficulties and experiencing trauma in many cases.
"There is a huge culture shock for many, faced with a new set of customs and traditions and language," the group says. In Galway city the accommodation provided is not conducive to self-catering, nor is there a budget for buying food independently. Some children have already become ill from eating meals they are not accustomed to.
The lack of local provision of essential services is also causing problems, particularly in relation to legal advice, according to Ms Marian Merrick, spokeswoman for the support group. "The Legal Services Board in Mount Street, Dublin, was established by the Government to provide legal advice to asylum-seekers at all stages of their application," she says.
"The first stage of that application requires completion of a detailed questionnaire, amounting to 84 questions in total. This is an extremely important document, as it forms the basis of the asylum-seeker's application for refugee status, and their subsequent interview.
"It is essential that asylum-seekers are given adequate legal advice before submitting this document. Yet the Galway Refugee Support Group understands that none of the asylum-seekers who have been sent to the Galway region has received this legal advice." She fears this could already have prejudiced many applications.
She says that a large number of asylum-seekers sent to Galway have been called for interview in Dublin over the next fortnight, some with appointments today, as the second stage in their application. As far as her group is aware, only one family has succeeded in arranging legal advice through the Legal Services Board.
The Galway Refugee Support Group believes the weekly allowance is inadequate, and says that forcing families to stay in hostel/hotel accommodation is detrimental to their emotional and physical well-being. It believes that a refugee support worker in each region could co-ordinate services, prevent duplication and provide continuing moral support.
The support group has heard only positive reports so far from Cong and Clifden, where special efforts have been made, but there is a genuine concern about the emotional welfare of the asylum-seekers as the months drag on.
The less-than-welcoming statements from the Irish Immigration Platform, querying grants given by the Department of Foreign Affairs for development education, are available on the Web, and one Galway councillor was reported last December as saying that asylum-seekers should be "screened" for their skills before being sent to the west.
Mr Padraic Kenna of Galway Simon Community has sought details under the Freedom of Information Act in relation to the role of Galway Corporation in providing temporary accommodation.
He has also inquired about the liaison arrangements between the corporation, the Western Health Board and the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs on housing, and what measures will be taken if asylum-seekers become homeless. "Technically they are not entitled to homeless services, which is a matter of concern," Mr Kenna says.
Ms Heike Vornhagen of the Galway One World Centre believes the fact that asylum-seekers cannot work, or avail of training, could become a major issue. "Many are highly skilled people," she says.
And for such people, short-term charity is just not enough.