Residents of the Irish Direst Provision system have once again been a topic of discussion in the media and social media following yet another case of substandard treatment within the DP system. Unfortunately like previous complaints and protests by residents, there doesn't seem to be any will to address the current issues facing DP in Ireland.
Continuous cases of poor standards of living have led to many liberals calling for its abolition, without any solution as to how Ireland would deal with refugees and migrants, and determining one from the other. Much of the problem with DP at the moment is the many years it takes for this determination to be made, along with the lengthy appeals process which follows many denials of residency. Much of the time this is not down to a lack of work by the Irish institutions, but rather gaining access to information from the country which the refugee has fled, or in some cases the country which the person has resided in prior to Ireland, then making it harder to determine whether it is a refugee or migrant case.
DP only affects those claiming asylum in Ireland, basically that they are fleeing persecution or war, and it is a system to house these people while a decision is made regarding their status. Migrants can apply for residency in Ireland, await approval, then simply come to the country, unless they are EU citizens, in which case they just come whenever they want, due to the freedom of movement between EU states. The system is needed at the present time, unless a viable alternative is put in place, in order to maintain some level of national security and screening of those seeking to live in Ireland.
But the biggest problem affecting DP today is the fact that it has been privatised, and seems to have become more about profit, then about housing people traumatised by war and genocide. In 2018 the Irish taxpayer handed over €72 million to private companies to run what can be substandard DP centres. Mosney Holidays plc, who seem to have had the required experience gained from providing a holiday destination to cater for up to 600 people fleeing war torn countries, having pocketed €136 million between 2002 and 2018. With this much money being spent annually, you would think that there would be a couple of euro lying around to provide enough food for these people.
The DP system is given a great portrayal in the RTÉ series about DP 'Taken Down', written by best-selling author Jo Spain. It reflects on the barrage of complaints made against many DP centres, while delving deeper into a fictional story about a different kind of profiteering from refugees. The author spoke with residents and former residents of DP before writing the script, giving credibility to the fictionalised story.
The arguments surrounding DP are currently liberal vs conservative, while the real argument should be left vs right. Investing in extra staff to speed up the decision process, and nationalising the DP system could allow for a better quality of stay in the country for those claiming asylum, and could save money in the long term. Rather than paying private companies over €70m per year, the money could be invested in hiring more staff and improving conditions, and through bulk-buying for all DP centres rather than individually.
These are the real arguments that need to be had regarding Ireland's DP system. Currently the two main arguments seem to be about whether we should accommodate refugees or Irish people, and whether these people are genuine refugees or migrants. The real argument should be why €72m was handed over to private companies in 2018 to operate what is widely regarded as a poor, and at times inhumane service. It is a system that pays per occupant, thus encouraging companies to cram as many refugees into one place and spend as little as legally allowed, in order to make as much money as possible. If people really have such a problem with refugees coming to Ireland, then why not attend the regular protests held in Shannon Airport which call for a restoration of Irish neutrality. While we may not be directly bombing these people's homes, we are refuelling and protecting the planes that may very well be helping to destroy their homes, making them refugees in the first place. Ireland is not completely blameless when it comes to international acts of terror, we either turn a blind eye, or actively support our part in foreign wars.
I'll finish off with one of my favourite analogies when it comes to migration. A rich man, a poor man, and a foreign man are sitting at a table with 100 buns, the rich man takes 99 of them and turns to the poor man saying "that foreign man is going to take your bun."
Continuous cases of poor standards of living have led to many liberals calling for its abolition, without any solution as to how Ireland would deal with refugees and migrants, and determining one from the other. Much of the problem with DP at the moment is the many years it takes for this determination to be made, along with the lengthy appeals process which follows many denials of residency. Much of the time this is not down to a lack of work by the Irish institutions, but rather gaining access to information from the country which the refugee has fled, or in some cases the country which the person has resided in prior to Ireland, then making it harder to determine whether it is a refugee or migrant case.
DP only affects those claiming asylum in Ireland, basically that they are fleeing persecution or war, and it is a system to house these people while a decision is made regarding their status. Migrants can apply for residency in Ireland, await approval, then simply come to the country, unless they are EU citizens, in which case they just come whenever they want, due to the freedom of movement between EU states. The system is needed at the present time, unless a viable alternative is put in place, in order to maintain some level of national security and screening of those seeking to live in Ireland.
But the biggest problem affecting DP today is the fact that it has been privatised, and seems to have become more about profit, then about housing people traumatised by war and genocide. In 2018 the Irish taxpayer handed over €72 million to private companies to run what can be substandard DP centres. Mosney Holidays plc, who seem to have had the required experience gained from providing a holiday destination to cater for up to 600 people fleeing war torn countries, having pocketed €136 million between 2002 and 2018. With this much money being spent annually, you would think that there would be a couple of euro lying around to provide enough food for these people.
The DP system is given a great portrayal in the RTÉ series about DP 'Taken Down', written by best-selling author Jo Spain. It reflects on the barrage of complaints made against many DP centres, while delving deeper into a fictional story about a different kind of profiteering from refugees. The author spoke with residents and former residents of DP before writing the script, giving credibility to the fictionalised story.
The arguments surrounding DP are currently liberal vs conservative, while the real argument should be left vs right. Investing in extra staff to speed up the decision process, and nationalising the DP system could allow for a better quality of stay in the country for those claiming asylum, and could save money in the long term. Rather than paying private companies over €70m per year, the money could be invested in hiring more staff and improving conditions, and through bulk-buying for all DP centres rather than individually.
These are the real arguments that need to be had regarding Ireland's DP system. Currently the two main arguments seem to be about whether we should accommodate refugees or Irish people, and whether these people are genuine refugees or migrants. The real argument should be why €72m was handed over to private companies in 2018 to operate what is widely regarded as a poor, and at times inhumane service. It is a system that pays per occupant, thus encouraging companies to cram as many refugees into one place and spend as little as legally allowed, in order to make as much money as possible. If people really have such a problem with refugees coming to Ireland, then why not attend the regular protests held in Shannon Airport which call for a restoration of Irish neutrality. While we may not be directly bombing these people's homes, we are refuelling and protecting the planes that may very well be helping to destroy their homes, making them refugees in the first place. Ireland is not completely blameless when it comes to international acts of terror, we either turn a blind eye, or actively support our part in foreign wars.
I'll finish off with one of my favourite analogies when it comes to migration. A rich man, a poor man, and a foreign man are sitting at a table with 100 buns, the rich man takes 99 of them and turns to the poor man saying "that foreign man is going to take your bun."
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