A small number of a group of 103 adult male refugees who were living in tents provided by the State in Co Clare during the recent cold weather were being moved to warmer and more suitable accommodation, however almost 100 remained in the tents as there was no alternative solutions available.
The international protection applicants (IPAs), who are living in the tents at Knockalisheen, near Limerick City, since last September, had complained about their living conditions, particularly during the present cold snap, and despite the State’s efforts to warm the structures.
The men are residing on property owned by the office of public works in "thirteen multi-purpose tactical shelter tents, each accommodating eight people," according to a spokesman for the department of children, equality, disability, integration, and youth, which is in charge of finding housing for asylum seekers.
Ninety-seven of the guys were still living in the tents that Defence Forces soldiers had built last July on Friday since there was no other place for them to stay.
Cathal Crowe, a local Fianna Fáil leader, called it "inhumane" to permit people to live un tents.
The men were being "prioritised to move to suitable accommodation as it becomes available," the spokesman added, and department officials will "continue to explore accommodation alternatives" for them.
The government is forced to take into consideration all housing offers due to "substantially increasing numbers of arrivals (off refugees) in the context of accommodation difficulties," the representative for the department claimed.
According to him, 14,700 IPAs have landed in Ireland over the past 12 months, including 13,600 at the start of the year, as opposed to an average of 3,500 IPA shipments between 2017 and 2019.
There are 103 IPAs housed at this facility, but 6 IPAs will go to new quarters today.
At Knockalisheen, the tents are located next to a direct provision facility that can house 200 additional asylum seekers.
Living close to the location, Crowe said: "I have major worries. These tents are not proper lodging, especially not during the winter. I would consider it inhumane to have people in tents throughout the winter."
The problem is that it has taken months for the males who are at Knockalisheen, according to Dr. John Lannon of the migrant rights organisation Doras, who expressed his satisfaction that "people are starting to move out of the tents in Knockalisheen."
Lannon expressed his gratitude for the fact that "the tents may be called into action for a very brief amount of time" and that "if there is a sudden surge, the tents are a little bit better than being left homeless on the streets."
But he noted that after four months in the tents, "a sense of pessimism" had crept in.
The males must trek to the nearby lodging facility to wash and use the restroom because there are no bathrooms in the tents.
"It has a detrimental impact on their physical and mental well-being; there is no privacy or personal space, and if they have to go outdoors to use the restroom at any time, but especially at night, it is extremely cold and damp," the expert said.
Reliable sources reported that the men were "trying to keep warm" by sleeping in multiple layers of clothing.
According to a department official, each tent is elevated off the ground, equipped with two fan heaters, and divided into small sections.
Residents use the main dining area and are given with two shower blocks with on-site restrooms and wash-hand basin facilities. The site operator also provides a catering service. There are also water dispensers available.
Orla N Éil, coordinator of the Clare Immigrant Support Centre, expressed "serious concern" for the men's physical and mental well-being.
Néil remarked, "It's simply utterly inappropriate, and it's adding another layer of stress and difficulty for these folks.
She continued, "The government is in control of this and it is not an option that should be employed. It is necessary to remove all of these individuals out of these tents.
The past few nights have been "especially cold," according to Crowe, who noted that he lives in a home with a central heating system and comfortable duvets. "I fear to imagine what it must be like for individuals who are living in these tents," he added.
"While the current reliance on emergency settings is less than ideal, these options are important to offer housing to international protection arrivals and to prevent homelessness," the Department official said.
They stated, "The Department is utilising all accommodation options provided to it, including the use of office buildings and sporting venues to make up for the lodging gap.
Since February 24, 2022, the Department has worked to make finding housing easier for both IP applicants and the more than 49,000 Ukrainians who have been granted temporary protection (BOTPs), a record number of persons fleeing their own countries and seeking asylum in Ireland.
"Since the year's beginning, pressure to accommodate more than 67,000 people has resulted in considerable shortages, particularly for the foreign protection applicants."
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