Ezana Weldetensae felt welcomed by the community in Rosslare, Co Wexford, after he fled war in his home country of Ethiopia.
"People were asking me where I was from, and I was so open to talk to them. They were so keen and interested to ask me this. That means a lot for anyone coming here as a refugee," he said.
Rosslare Harbour is a coastal community with a population of around 2,000 people and in the past few years it has seen its share of newcomers.
A direct provision centre houses around 90 asylum seekers, while around another 200 people fleeing the war in Ukraine are accommodated in the local area.
Mr Weldetensae arrived in Ireland in 2021 and lived in Rosslare while his asylum application was being processed.
After several months he was able to work in the local supermarket and volunteered in the community centre.
He said this helped him integrate with local people and he felt accepted.
"As long as you're open and optimistic, everybody will be interested to be on your side. That’s what I’ve seen myself," he said.
While his personal experience was that Rosslare was open to newcomers, some residents now think they cannot accept many more.
There are plans to locate another accommodation service for asylum seekers in the former Great Southern Hotel.
A decision on the planning status of the hotel, which was formerly designated for conversion into a nursing home, is due to be made shortly by An Bord Pleanála.
In recent weeks, locals have held marches and vigils in protest.
Mr Weldetensae said people who take part may have genuine questions and it must be addressed "in a very formal way".
He also thinks the narrative around asylum seekers needs to be changed.
"Refugees are not people who are coming here to just rely on the community or to be dependent forever," he said.
He now studies IT Management at South East Technological University and is looking forward to using his skills to make a positive contribution.
"We have many more things to offer. Like myself, I’m so willing to serve the community that gave me such love," he said.
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Locals opposed to the potential opening of a second direct provision centre have said the area is at saturation point, with services already stretched.
The principal of the local primary school, Tom Cousins, acknowledged they are "almost at capacity" with space for only a small number of new children.
"In saying that, if that does happen, we will do our best and we will welcome them," he said.
Mr Cousins described the school as a very inclusive environment that had integrated newcomers.
The school has 352 students of 17 different nationalities.
"The culture in the school has changed," he said. "We have to adopt to these things and do our best for the children as they come through the doors."
Staff and students at Kilrane National School have been running a 'School of Sanctuary’ programme, which aimed to create a safe and welcoming atmosphere.
"It’s a matter of making sure we stand out to say, no matter where you come from, no matter what religion you are, no matter what your situation is - when you walk through our doors, you’re safe, you’re happy and we will help you learn," said Mr Cousins.
He said the diversity in the school helped the children learn about the world around them.
"The children have a better understanding of where these children come from, what happens and what has brought these children to our doors. Allowing them to see it’s real people and not just figures on the paper - that's really important for us," he said.
However, some residents now think Rosslare cannot cope with new arrivals.
When plans emerged from the Department of Children, Integration and Equality regarding the possible location of at least 170 international protection applicants, and as many as 400, in the former Great Southern Hotel, people began to protest.
Organisers estimated that around 1,200 attended a rally near Rosslare Europort in November.
"We don't have the services to look after ourselves, never mind more people coming in. It’s not sustainable."
Since then people have maintained an ongoing vigil at the entrances to the former hotel site.
Their placards bear slogans such as 'Save Our Nursing Home', 'Enough is Enough' and 'Rosslare Harbour is At Saturation'.
"This is not about immigrants coming in," said Aidan McFadden, one of the protesters. "If the Government relocated 600 people from Dublin, or Donegal, the issues would still be the same."
"We don’t have the services. There’s a little dispensary up the road, I think it’s staffed one day per week. There’s a GP practice five miles up the road, it takes me two and a half weeks to get a medical appointment," he said.
"We don’t have the services to look after ourselves, never mind more people coming in. It’s not sustainable."
Community liaison officer with Rosslare Harbour Concerned Residents, Bernie Mullen, said they were "promised a nursing home" and that was what the protests were about.
"We really feel that we have genuinely been welcoming and looked after the people that we have here," she said.
"We’re more than happy to help these people, but we just feel another 400 would break the camel’s back."
Ms Mullen said their group had made it clear they do not want to be in any way associated with outside far-right elements.
When asked if she was worried that slogans like "enough is enough" feed into anti-migrant sentiment that could be dangerous, she said it was a possibility.
"People will read into a situation what they want to see in it. We’re very, very aware of anything like that."
"We don’t want those people here. We don’t want that being attached to our campaign," she said.
Ms Mullen added: "What we’re saying to the minister is enough is enough. That’s our message - honestly, how many more people do you think can come to the village?"
In its most recent statement on the issue, the Department of Children, Equality and Integration said the International Protection Procurement Service is "still considering the offer of accommodation" in respect of the former hotel building and that, until the planning matters have been concluded, the department will not enter into a contract.
However, the department added that Minister for Integration Roderic O'Gorman has said that he "is not in a position to discount any offer of accommodation, given the acute shortage of availability and the continued high demand for accommodation for those seeking international protection."
Mr O'Gorman also said that he will update local representatives on any developments in relation to any potential opening date for the property as it arises.
