GARDA VETTING is not yet in place across the asylum system despite the fact that more than one-third of those living in asylum seekers’ accommodation centres are children.
While the vetting process is being rolled out, Fiona Finn, chief executive of Nasc, the Irish Immigrant Support Centre, a non-Governmental organisation that seeks to respond to the needs of immigrants in the Cork area, said the 10-year delay in the introduction of Garda vetting, was “another Ryan report waiting to happen”.
“While we welcome the introduction of Garda vetting for all staff working in the centres, it is of grave concern to us that it took 10 years to introduce vetting.
“This delay is indicative of the regard that our asylum-seeking population and in particular asylum-seeking children are held in this State,” she said.
The organisation also expressed serious concerns as to the manner in which the vetting procedure is being carried out.
The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA), which is responsible for accommodating and providing services to asylum seekers, acts as the conduit for communications between the Garda vetting unit and the direct provision centres. It does not have any part in the clearing of staff following the vetting process as to whether or not they should continue in employment.
According to the Department of Justice it is up to the individual contractor whether they should continue to staff following the vetting procedure or continue to employ “possibly with restrictions – the individual concerned, having regard to the absolute contractual obligation to the agency RIA to maintain a safe living environment for asylum seekers”.
Ms Finn said the only role that agency seemed to have in the process is one of an administrative or clerical nature. “By their own admission they only record the receipt and return of the completed forms to the accommodation centres. There does not appear to be any requirement upon RIA to act upon a vetting report that may raise serious child-protection issues, despite the fact that vulnerable asylum-seeking children are in their care.
“This in our view is a complete abdication of their responsibility and a failure in the system. In this context it does not appear that the State has learned any lessons from our past failures regarding the care of vulnerable children.”
Speaking on behalf of the integration agency, a spokeswoman for the Department of Justice said the vetting of all individuals employed in the country’s 47 direct provision centres is due to be completed within the next few months, adding that, to date, all contractors had been Garda vetted and cleared by the agency.
She said the company with the largest number of accommodation centre contracts in the State, Bridgestock Ltd, successfully carried out a pilot vetting programme for its staff, all of whom have now been vetted.
However, the spokeswoman would not disclose whether any staff had had their employment terminated following issues arising out of the Garda vetting process.
There are currently almost 6,300 residents in 47 direct provision centres around Ireland just over 2,120 of whom are under 18.
Living on the edge: ‘trauma’ of asylum process adds to mental health problems
LIVING IN accommodation centres adversely affects the mental health of asylum seekers, isolates them from the local community and limits their integration and understanding of society, according to an Irish study.
The Comparison of Self- reported Health Healthcare utilisation between Asylum Seekers and Refugees study indicates that asylum seekers are three times more likely to experience post-traumatic stress disorder and twice more likely to report depression and anxiety than refugees.
Other studies have indicated that refugees are 10 times more likely to experience post-traumatic stress than the general population.
The authors of the Irish study, published by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, noted that asylum seekers and refugees experienced the same pre-migration stressors, such as lack of food and water or being close to death.
However, it said that asylum seekers experienced a higher level of post-migration stressors. These included dissatisfaction regarding the length of the asylum process and asylum seekers’ inability to work, which is known to lead to mental health problems and issues of self esteem.
The findings were referred to in a submission to the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children by psychiatrists Dr Niall Crumlish of St James’s Hospital and Dr Pat Bracken of Bantry General Hospital, Cork. Dr Crumlish noted that “inherent trauma” of the asylum process added to mental health problems for asylum seekers.
“They have insecure residency status and live in constant fear of repatriation,” the submission said.
In 2009 there were 314 referrals to the Psychology Service for Refugees and Asylum Seekers and 1,900 appointments were given, according to the HSE.