There is, in the words of one person closely involved in sourcing accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers, “a major issue in relation to single men”. It is even more pronounced in the case of non-white single men, they say.
This was captured in Ballinrobe, Co Mayo, on Monday when protests melted away after the Government committed to accommodating families in the former JJ Gannon guesthouse, rather than 50 single men.
Those working on the ground say that many of those protesting are ordinary members of the community – that while far right actors may play a role, accelerating mistruths or propagating racist tropes online, ascribing every protest to agitators is a fallacy. TDs, who are closely attuned to what their constituents are thinking, say the same. Whatever factors are driving it, that is the blunt reality. Opposition to accommodation for single men seeking asylum is, increasingly, a fact of political life in Ireland.
The chief criticism of the Government is that it is not communicating adequately. Eamon Ryan spoke on Tuesday about a campaign which will explain the “basic mechanics” of migration, and doubtlessly better communication is needed. But the evidence suggests that even if it was communicated weeks or months in advance that large groups of single men were being moved in somewhere, the outcome would not be any different: protests, maybe even blockades, perhaps even arson.
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The question for the Government, and those working to accommodate international protection (IP) applicants and those fleeing Ukraine, is what to do about it. And the answer may be that it is increasingly impossible to have a strategy which concentrates large groups of single men together in accommodation centres.
This week in 2023, single men accounted for 47 per cent of arrivals seeking international protection. Arrivals declined during the following months, when accommodation could not be offered – before picking up again across the summer – in July, the figure was 55 per cent, in August 52 per cent, in September and October 50 per cent, and 43 per cent in November. In December that number dropped sharply – in the last week it was just 29 per cent. The verdict in Government is that this is down to word of mouth as news of the accommodation shortfall spread again.
While the level of single men may ebb and flow, migration trends are such that one source involved in managing accommodation for the State predicts this will be an issue for at least a decade. Part of the answer, this source argues, is to allow for compromise with communities and to move away from centres that house only single men. This may involve toughening up with accommodation providers, demanding that they offer housing suitable for families, even if it is less profitable, in exchange for Government contracts. It will also involve planning more strategically, as opposed to fire fighting and taking every offer of accommodation that comes in. Sources say there are indications that this is beginning to happen, with a pipeline of larger scale centres in the medium term.
Integration is difficult. At pace, it’s more difficult still. With migration politics forcing its way to the forefront in an election year, pulling up the handbrake in the face of opposition risks creating a blueprint that will be replicated elsewhere. Meanwhile, it seems that every opening of an asylum accommodation centre is now a flashpoint in waiting. The pressure is on the State to get better and be quicker in finding solutions that work.
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