A Palestinian asylum seeker who claims he has been homeless since arriving in Ireland 10 months ago after fleeing the war in his native land is asking the High Court to order the State to accommodate him.
The man, who is in his 40s, is seeking an order compelling the Minister for Integration to provide him with “material reception conditions”, which includes accommodation and a vulnerability assessment.
The man, represented by barrister Keivon Sotoodeh, instructed by Patrick J Sweeney Solicitors, secured High Court permission last month to pursue his case.
He is seeking a declaration that the respondent acted in breach of his rights to a “dignified standard of living” pursuant to EU law regarding applicants for international protection covering human dignity, integrity of the person, prohibition on inhuman and degrading treatment and respect for family life.
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The applicant states that he arrived in Ireland in March 2024 and presented himself at the International Protection Office to make his application. The statement grounding the application to the High Court claims the man was “forced to flee his home country of Palestine, due to the ongoing conflict therein and the very real danger that he found himself in”.
It is claimed the man has been homeless for the past 10 months and that he “desperately requires” assistance to accommodate him as he has been sleeping rough in a tent “where he has been exposed to the elements in the middle of winter”.
In addition, the statement says the man is suffering from PTSD as a result of what he experienced in Palestine.
He claims that his mental health is adversely affected by homelessness and he further submits that “sleeping rough in an area such as Dublin, which experiences an increasing level of criminality and anti-immigrant sentiment”, resulted in his mental health worsening further.
The man’s lawyers say his situation is now “very critical and he is becoming more and more desperate”.
The matter was mentioned before Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty on Tuesday.
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