More than 730 asylum seekers without accommodation

Some 739 asylum seekers are waiting on an offer of accommodation, according to new figures released by the Department of Integration.

Despite intensive efforts to source emergency accommodation the department has been struggling to provide shelter to all international protection applicants because of a severe shortage of available accommodation.

The figures show that since early December of last year 1,120 male international protection applicants have presented to the International Protection Office. They have been assessed for vulnerabilities and health issues.

Those who cannot get access to accommodation will receive a temporary increase of €75 to their existing daily expense allowance. This increases the allowance from the current rate of €38.80 per week to €113.80 a week for all eligible applicants. The figures show that 985 applicants received a contingency payment in lieu of accommodation, while 739 are without an offer for accommodation.

Phoenix Park and Army barracks urged as alternative sites for asylum-seekers living in tents at Grand Canal

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Syrian man appears in court after arriving in Dublin without identification

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We shouldn’t import broken British rhetoric about migration

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Maybe now the Irish Government will accept that the UK and unionists had a point about open borders

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It comes after a week in which the Government attempted to tighten immigration rules, with Algeria and Botswana added to a list of eight countries of safe origin. The new measures could lead to the potential removal of up to 5,000 people from the State, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said.

The Government considered adding Nigeria and Pakistan to the list of safe countries, but concluded they did not meet all the criteria.

The Dáil also this week voted to cut welfare payments to new arrivals from Ukraine from €220 to €38.80. The new rules will also see the Government introduce a 90-day time limit for Ukrainian refugees staying in State accommodation.

Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys also signalled that the Government may at some stage reduce social welfare payments for Ukrainian refugees already in Ireland, having already announced a cut for new arrivals.

“I think it could well be the case that down the road we may have to make the decision that anybody in State-provided accommodation, regardless of what date they arrived, that they will only receive a payment of €38.80.”

Ms Humphreys said it was important that “we do retain some level of flexibility here”.

The measures for new arrivals are likely to come into force at the end of February after the legislation has passed the Seanad and has been signed into law by President Michael D Higgins.

Separately, Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman indicated on Thursday that he is finalising a new plan which will see the White Paper to end direct provision revised, and would involve the State building more than six new centres to house hundreds of asylum seekers. He said work was ongoing between government departments to sign off on the new plan.

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