Direct Provision

Direct Provision centre at Lissywollen, Athlone, 2013

Direct Provision is a system of dealing with asylum seekers in the Republic of Ireland.^[1] Direct Provision is how the State meets its obligations with regards to the accommodation of asylum seekers. It is designed to be a cashless system, with residents in receipt of full board accommodation, with their food, utilities etc. fully paid for by the state, while unlike most other EU states, those in Direct Provision have full mainstreamed access to the health system (and education system for children). Asylum seekers in Direct Provision are automatically entitled to full medical cards. The length of time people spend in Direct Provision has been criticised by human rights watchdogs, with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission calling the delays faced by asylum applicants as "systemic and pernicious."^[2]

The system of Direct Provision was originally introduced as an "emergency measure" in 1999, before the scale of the asylum crisis became clear.^[3] In 2002 there were almost 12,000 applications for asylum. At the start of 2014, there were 4,360 people in direct provision, with more than 3,000 people have been in the system for two or more years. At the same time, there were more than 1,600 people who have spent five or more years in direct provision.^[4]

Direct Provision has been labeled "inhuman and degrading" in a court case being taken against Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton and the Attorney General Maire Whelan, asserting that the system is illegal under both the Irish Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, and all other international human rights conventions that Ireland has subscribed to.^[5] This case is being vigorously defended by the State on all grounds, including on the basis that it fulfills Ireland's obligations, that is broadly in line (and in many cases better) than the situation in other EU states, and that at a time of competing calls for finite resources, it is not feasible for the State to grant the right to work, access to full social welfare and access to the public housing and/or rent supplement to asylum seekers. The Irish Government's Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, Dr. Geoffrey Shannon, has called it "institutionalised poverty," although in addition to having all of their expenses met, adults in Direct Provision centres are given €19.10 weekly, while children are given €9.60 per week. Many child asylum seekers have been sent here alone while some are born into the direct provision life and that is all they have ever known.^[6] In June 2014, there were more than 1,000 asylum cases waiting to be heard in the High Court.^[7] The Irish Refugee Council has reported that young people living in Direct Provision centres are more prone to depression and suicide, and in the case of three young people in particular, aged between 11 and 17, stated "for different reasons, these three young people have all expressed the view that they can’t see the purpose of living."^[8]

According to responses to parliamentary debates and the Reception and Integration Agency,^[9] the majority of adults in Direct Provision have had their initial asylum applications rejected and are either appealing this or seeking to remain in Ireland under other criteria.

References