- Culture
- 11 Oct 22
Irish Refugee Council reports "highly alarming" risks for women and minors in poor accommodation
"We urge the Government to take a proactive and cooperative approach by upgrading and fully resourcing relevant public services, governmental departments and supporting agencies to ensure that we can meet the increased need."
The Irish Refugee Council (IRC) has published a report warning of the "grievous" risk for women and minor refugees seeking accommodation in the past six months.
They have made recommendations to the Government to protect women and children from these risks and the "deteriorating" accommodation standards.
The IRC has said it is "extremely concerned" about the safety of these vulnerable groups of people who have been accommodated in poor conditions. The report claims recent months have seen refugees sleeping on floors, chairs and tents, showing "a steady, downward trajectory" in accommodation quality in the past six months.
“If ‘temporary, emergency’ type of accommodation is going to be used, we insist that it is for the shortest time possible and that health and safety standards are maintained and prioritised and that, as our law requires, ‘basic needs’ are met,” reads the report.
The IRC recognised that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has put additional pressure on Ireland's capacity for refugees, but they've said that the "international protection system in Ireland has never functioned well for applicants."
"We urge the Government to take a proactive and cooperative approach by upgrading and fully resourcing relevant public services, governmental departments and supporting agencies to ensure that we can meet the increased need. We cannot focus all attention and resources on the immediate and most pressing crisis of new arrivals, without recognising that there is a dual, parallel need to plan for the medium-long term," said IRC CEO Nick Henderson.
Read the report in full below.
🆕Our new report: Accommodation Crisis 2022 Response and Recommendations.
Raises concerns about deteriorating standards and risks to people.
Gives government recommendations on managing protection accommodation crisis and wider system.
🔗 to download https://t.co/isPe4DORXa pic.twitter.com/UPKRxls0jI— Irish Refugee Council (@IrishRefugeeCo) October 5, 2022
