Refugees and asylum-seekers should be encouraged to move from reception centres into normal housing, according to a report on integration published yesterday.
The report, based on a yearlong study of the needs of refugees and asylum-seekers in Waterford, criticised the policy of direct provision, under which they are placed in accommodation centres and given £15 a week in addition to meals.
The study was conducted by Integrate Waterford, which was set up to devise an effective integration plan for the city and develop a model of best practice for the integration of refugees in Ireland. Some 50 statutory, business and voluntary organisations in Waterford, as well as refugees and asylum-seekers, participated in the project.
A sub-group which examined housing policy said the system of direct provision removed the "final remnants of independence" from people. The group also criticised the reception policy for asylum-seekers and the Kosovar refugees living in the city.
"While it was acknowledged that reception centres might be useful for a short period on arrival, the sub-group did not agree with extended periods of stay in such accommodation as it adds to dependence and isolation," said the report, written by the project's manager, Mr Joe Moran.
"It was the belief of the subgroup that reception centres should provide more than a roof over people's heads and that activities should be provided and encouraged. The sub-group also believed that refugees and asylum-seekers should be encouraged to move from reception centres into normal housing as soon as possible after their arrival."
The housing sub-group, chaired by Mr Sam Cleere of the Waterford men's hostel, included representatives of Waterford Corporation, the Respond housing agency, Focus Ireland, the South-Eastern Health Board and the Clann Housing Association.
A sub-group on health and social services highlighted the difficulty in providing translation services when people from many different countries were housed in the same centres. The group proposed that, notwithstanding an individual's right to freedom of movement once they received permission to remain in the State, the Government should implement a policy of "clustered dispersal" of people from the same ethnic backgrounds, rather than have "a scattering of all nationalities".
"Having people from the same ethnic background in a given location can provide a means of mutual support and thus enhance an individual's well-being," the report said.
In an introduction, Mr Moran said "a lead must be given by Government and other national authorities and institutions".
