If official reports and political commitments had been acted upon, thousands of asylum seekers would be in a better place. As things stand, they are denied a right to work; paid a derisory living allowance and their treatment in direct provision centres has drawn international condemnation. Now, a Government-appointed working group is urging the removal of discrimination in education and the provision of a fast-track process for applicants waiting for more than five years.
It sounds positive. And it is. But these proposals for change do not go far enough. Not only that: there is no guarantee they will be accepted by Government or enacted by the Dail before the general election takes place. The last piece of legislation in this area - the Immigrant, Residence and Protection Bill - died with the last government. Speed is, therefore, a primary consideration. Many of these families have been harshly treated for far too long.
It is almost a year since Minister of State Aodhán O Riordáin identified reform of the direct provision system as his "top priority". He also favoured allowing asylum seekers to work. But his senior colleague at the Department of Justice Frances Fitzgerald quickly vetoed that suggestion. The long-held official view within the Department has been that work permission would act as a "pull factor". To that has been added a concern that asylum seekers might qualify for unemployment benefit. Ireland is one of only two EU countries where a right to work is denied to asylum seekers. Such a stance causes further psychological damage to those seeking help, while revealing this State as a cold and uncaring place for the dispossessed.
There are positive elements. Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan signalled that children who have been five years in education here will, like their Irish friends, not have to pay third level fees and will receive appropriate student supports. The change will take place in the autumn. A weekly allowance of €19.10 for adults, or €9.60 for children, that has not changed in fifteen years, is likely to be increased. But the proposed “fast track” mechanism for an estimated 1,500 asylum applicants who have been more than five years in the system is problematical. In order to receive a decision within six months, they would be required to drop any legal challenges in the expectation that officials would cast a “sympathetic eye” in their direction. On the basis of past experiences, that would represent a leap in the dark.
War and religious conflict in the Middle East and Africa has sent millions of people fleeing for their lives. Some will end up here. Rather than perpetuate a "Fortress Ireland" mentality and expose refugees to greater hardship and discrimination, a history of hunger and emigration should inform our responses.