Gardaí are investigating an alleged attack on tents where homeless asylum seekers are sheltering by the Grand Canal in Dublin.
Some among the male asylum seekers, over 30 of whom have been living by the canal since Thursday, say they fear for their safety after the incident. They allege a group of people on bicycles, some wearing face-coverings, threw eggs at, kicked and shook the tents and shouted “racism” and “abuse”. The alleged incident happened at about 11pm on Saturday.
It follows several days, they say, of people coming to the area, photographing and videoing them without their consent and verbally abusing them.
“Guys came attack,” said a Palestinian man in his 30s on Sunday. “They came with bike, throw eggs. It’s frightening.” Broken eggshells were still visible on Sunday at a number of spots on the path by the tents.
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Another man, from north Africa, said: “I am not sleeping. Fifteen people on bicyclette, masks on. Some have knife. I am scared. It is problem. I am every night not sleeping.”
A Zimbabwean man, sitting by Baggot Street bridge, also expressed fear, saying he could not sleep after the incident. “You wonder what will happen next. It is scary. God will protect us, I pray. I am in Ireland a month now and I am waiting for IPO [International Protection Office] to process my application. The thing is, no accommodation.”
A man in his 40s, from Bangladesh, said he was “very nervous” for his safety. “Someone kick my tent and threw eggs. What if someone stab us? We are not disturbing anyone here. We always try to keep tidy the area.”
Several of the men said they had been at a larger encampment further down the canal that had been cleared in a multi-agency operation on Thursday morning, but had “missed buses”.
Over 150 male asylum seekers were bussed to accommodation, provided by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) in Crooksling in southwest Dublin and Dundrum, in the operation. However, a number of men who had been sleeping there did not access the accommodation for a number of reasons, including that they were not present at the encampment between 7am and 8am on Thursday when the clearance happened.
A Garda spokesman said: “Gardaí are aware of an incident where a number of tents at Grand Canal were damaged. Investigations are ongoing.
“Gardaí continue to maintain contact with the International Protection Office (IPO) and the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) in relation to the provision of accommodation to asylum seekers presenting in the International Protection Office.
“Gardaí continue to engage with all individuals who are sleeping rough and, in each case, seek to direct those people towards available services such as Council Outreach, Focus Ireland, Simon Community and others.”
Gardaí have increased patrols recently around areas where tents have been erected to discourage attacks, according to sources.
Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik has said she is “concerned” for the welfare of asylum seekers following the incident.
“It’s very concerning. I just heard last night that there was a nasty attack on a group of men who are camping along the canal, a stone’s throw from me. Our local volunteers have reported that to the Gardaí, but the reality is that as long as people are forced to sleep in tents along the Grand Canal and in public streets, they will be at risk. It’s insecure by definition. It’s also not good for for them: it’s inhumane, there’s no sanitation, there’s no cleaning facilities.”
Meanwhile, Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe has said a review of supports for asylum seekers will be completed “within weeks” to ensure that Ireland’s offering is in line with other European countries.
Speaking in Dublin, Mr Donohoe said the Taoiseach has now “asked for this work to be done quickly.”
“We want to ensure we are treating people compassionately and fairly as they come into Ireland seeking refuge. But we also want to ensure that we are acting in a way that is in line with similar offerings, similar decisions that are made across Europe.
“We recognise that those that are coming to our country seeking refuge are doing so in very difficult and desperate circumstances. But what we want to do is have a firm, clear, rules-based system in place that is compassionate and fair. This work underway and will be done quickly.”
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