Asylum inhumanity?
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
ASYLUM seekers, including those in the Athlone unit, are being kept for inhumane lengths of time while waiting processing, according to local Senator Nicky McFadden.
“I raised it in the Seanad last week because of the situation in Mosney," she told The Voice on Monday. "I think it's inhuman keeping them that long. It's giving people false hope. They're thinking they're going to be allowed to stay here. In some cases they are. In others they're deported."
The Fine Gael Longford/Westmeath Sen. is urging the Government to deal with the mounting crisis. She says she understands times are challenging and the Government needs to be conscious of how every single Euro is spent. But regardless, awaiting processing for five to 10 years is unacceptable.
“They are in ghetto-like camps. We need to review how we are treating people," she noted in a prepared statement. "The Government has stated that people are being moved from Mosney for economic reasons. These people are being treated really shamefully. Their claims should be processed immediately and if they are to be deported, they should be deported immediately and not forced to hang on for up to ten years."
According to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, asylum seekers are entitled to:
* Accommodation on a full-board basis.
* The cost of all meals, heat, light, laundry, TV, household maintenance, etc. are paid directly by the State.
* Personal allowances of €19.10 per adult and €9.60 euro per child per week.
The Government has made 14 positive recommendations for refugee status to asylum seekers, out of 1,014 cases this. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has criticised the "low" rates and is expected to engage with the authorities.
The acceptance rate of 1.38 per cent, which was overseen by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC), ranks Ireland at the bottom of the EU league for granting protection. It also continues a downward trend in giving refugee status to asylum seekers, with acceptance rates falling from 9 per cent in 2007.
The Department of Justice has acknowledged that the Irish asylum system compared with the best in the world "in terms of fairness, decision-making, determination structures and support services for asylum seekers." It said it was determined to address the high level of abuse of the asylum process by people seeking to gain entry to the State for purposes other than protection.
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