Five hospitalised and two men charged after fight at Citywest refugee hub

Five people were hospitalised and two men charged in court after a fight broke out at the Citywest refugee transit hub this week.

The facility has been closed to new arrivals since late January amid unprecedented pressure on the State’s system for receiving and integrating refugees – with concerns over the impact of conditions at the centre exacerbating tensions between groups there.

The Department of Integration said it was aware of an incident at Citywest which led to the emergency services being called and the situation “brought under control”.

It confirmed that the facility continues to be closed to new international protection applicants arriving due to the current numbers on site.

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In a statement a Garda spokesman said the force was investigating a public order incident that occurred in the Citywest area on Monday. “Two males have been charged in relation to this incident and appeared before Blanchardstown District Court, Tuesday, 14th March, 2023″.

Previously the Irish Refugee Council (IRC) raised issues about facilities at the centre and its suitability for accommodating women and children. In December the council called for the immediate transfer of 68 children from the centre, and for the closure of the facility in the long term.

The IRC described “chronic overcrowding” at the facility, with the convention centre at CItywest containing a mix of hospital beds, camp beds and mattresses on the ground. The NGO said it did not believe that the accommodation meets the basic needs of people.

In January three men were taken to hospital with minor injuries after a disturbance at Citywest, but no arrests were made, gardaí said at the time.

There is also frustration, officials believe, among those who are still accommodated in the centre many weeks after first arriving. The transit hub is supposed to be a short-term residence where people are accommodated before being sent on to some other form of accommodation around the country.

However an accommodation shortage is causing backlogs in the system, and people in Citywest are not being moved on given the lack of accommodation more generally and for international protection applicants in particular.