Direct provision: children share their hopes and dreams

To have a home, to have friends over and to have their mother cook for them are among the changes children living in direct provision would like to see.

They also said they wanted their own bedrooms, to go on school trips, and that their parents be allowed to work.

The views of children in direct provision were sought by the working group on the asylum process whose report is being published tomorrow. The consulations were conducted in 10 regional sessions between December 2014 and February this year.

With the help of the Irish Refugee Council, 31 children made submissions – some of them drawings. Of the 7,937 people in the system on February 16th, 21 per cent are children.

Dream homes

Many of the children described their dream homes.

“My ideal home would be a big home with every food for you. My parent’s room would have a big bed and side tables. My brother’s room would be a Power Rangers room and my room would be very big, and pink and purple. It would be glittery and sparkly,” wrote one. Several said they would have space to do homework.

They mentioned space to cook. “I want my mum to cook for me always and I want a puppy” wrote one.

In their free time, they wanted to “just be normal”.

“I would study, hang out with friends reading and writing . . . I would play at the park, go to the cinema, like normal kids.”

They couldn’t engage in some activities because their parents couldn’t afford them. “The children outside make fun of us. I don’t want to be made fun of any more.”

In most centres children are not allowed to have friends to visit. “I want . . . my friends to be able to stay with me,” said one.

Some described tensions in the centres, and of having been assaulted by other residents. “My sister and I have been victims of hard slaps on our faces,” said one child.

One described the stress she felt: “We cry. We are not happy like this. In school I keep thinking about this .”

The adults’ concerns echoed many of their children’s. One mother said her children were bullied at school. Another said her child asked: “Does this mean we are poor?” while another’s asked if being in direct provision meant they were “bad people”.