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'More staff needed' to process asylum applications

Updated / Sunday, 5 Feb 2023 17:35
Migrant rights organisation Doras said any accelerated process of asylum applications needs to be 'fair' (file pic RollingNews.ie)
Migrant rights organisation Doras said any accelerated process of asylum applications needs to be 'fair' (file pic RollingNews.ie)

The Irish Refugee Council has said more staff are needed to process the increased number of asylum applications and appeals.

The council's Managing Solicitor Katie Mannion said that with a Government plan to fast track decision-making, there could be more refusals which will mean more appeals.

The number of staff working on processing asylum appeals fell by 8% since 2019.

Ms Mannion also outlined other concerns.

She said previously international protection applicants were given a number of weeks to access legal advice and then fill out their questionnaire, but now they are being asked to do that in the same day in English and not in their native language.

"We are really concerned about that step," she said

She said another change is that some countries are designated by Ireland to be "safe" countries and so they are subject to a much faster process.

She explained that on the day they apply for asylum protection they will be given a date for an interview immediately and that could be as soon as two weeks.

"And they may not be able to access legal advice in that time."

She said if they do not have this advice the applicants might not fully understand the process and they may not have an opportunity to set out in full their complete story.

In a statement, Chief Executive of the Irish Refugee Council Nick Henderson said that while it has been critical of "chronic delays" in the asylum protection process, refugee status determination is "individual" and it "can take time".

"We warn against replacing delays with fast-track decision making that doesn't consider a person's individual circumstances," he said.

He also described it as one of the most important functions of a modern democracy.

His comments follow the announcement yesterday that the Government would accelerate the decision-making process, which decides whether or not people seeking international protection are granted leave to stay in Ireland, or face deportation.

Mr Henderson said the fundamental right to apply for asylum "must be protected" and he also expressed other "ongoing concerns", which he said they have highlighted to Government.

"That changes introduced in November at the International Protection Office reduce or remove access to legal advice for protection applicants at the beginning of their application," he said.

Mr Henderson also addressed the anti-migrant protests that have been taking place in different parts of the country.

"It is quite clear that some of those involved in local opposition are coming from far-right individuals with racist, xenophobic and, as shown this week, violent motivation."

However, he also described the "wide societal response" to welcoming refugees from Ukraine and local community organisations coming together in the face of far-right activity.

"But communities cannot do this alone. There is a significant responsibility on Government to improve communication with communities and to ensure necessary resources are in place. We understand there is relatively little resources, capacity or expertise in government to do this. That must change."

Mr Henderson said the vast majority of the world's refugees are supported by countries outside of Europe and Ireland welcomes a "tiny minority" of refugees in Europe.

Migrant rights organisation Doras said any accelerated process of asylum applications needs to be "fair" not to unintentionally "validate some of the false discourse of the far right".

CEO John Lannon said that planned fast-tracking of applications will not ease the current housing issues, "nor will it reduce the spread of misinformation and the organising of protests by the far right".

He said it is important that the Government makes it clear that everyone who wishes to make an application for international protection has the right to do so.

Mr Lannon also stated that international protection applicants must be given the opportunity to access legal advice and be allowed to complete their questionnaire with adequate support.

"The questionnaire that applicants are asked to complete is long and complex, and asking them to fill it in on the day of application, in English, without adequate support is unreasonable."

'We have a lot more space in Ireland'

Separately, Minister of State Pippa Hackett said space could be potentially found for 76,000 more refugees saying "we have a lot of space in Ireland" and that is why her party colleague Minister for Integration Roderic O'Gorman has written to ministers asking for help identifying empty buildings.

Speaking on RTÉ's The Week in Politics, the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture said she believes her ministerial colleagues will respond to Mr O'Gorman's call for an all-of-Government approach.

"I believe they really will pull out all the stops here now, this is a crisis."

Speaking on the same programme, Sinn Féin TD Kathleen Funchion said there has not been an all-of-Government approach to date.

"There is far too much in the Department of Children, we're not seeing the help and assistance in the Department of Housing, in the Department of Health and the Department of Education, if we were, why would the minister have to be writing to his colleagues seeking additional help?"

She said the Cabinet sub-committee on the response to the refugee crisis "should be meeting every single day".

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said protesters against refugees should focus their frustration on the Government.

"What they should be doing is campaigning to get the Government to actually do the things, that to date it has failed to do, to solve the housing crisis."

Independent TD for Wexford Verona Murphy said she agrees there was a housing crisis before a refugee crisis and the issue for many communities is an information deficit about plans to put to refugees in their localities.

"The reality is communities are asking legitimate questions with legitimate concerns. If the sports club is to be used in relation to housing people who need accommodation, where does that leave the community for a facility for sport?"

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said there are feelings of "frustration and anger" in communities because the Government has badly handled the housing crisis.

Speaking on This Week, she also said Irish people need to have a "clear-headed" view in apportioning blame over housing and she said it does not lie at "the feet of any refugee" or "anybody seeking asylum in this country."

Ms McDonald said some of the anger seen in some communities is a move by a small number of people to exploit that anger and direct it at the wrong people. "I think we need to be just upfront on calling that out."

She also said it is "a bit rich" of Government to cast themselves as "commentators or finger pointers" at the communities that have been "abandoned, failed, and let down".

She said there needs to be a plan and Sinn Féin would have taken a "thoughtful, structured and planned approach to this issue, and have looked to community leaders to roll out that plan.

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She added that it would have helped if residents were given notice or information about people being accommodated in the community.

"That didn't happen in Mullingar. It didn't happen in my own constituency, in East Wall, and it is the wrong way to do it and it unnecessarily stokes up concerns and fears.

"And very dangerously opens up the gap of very, very dangerous, abusive, and sometimes violent minority that want to come in and think they can take advantage of communities in a negative way."

"It is a matter of concern that a small group of very nasty individuals who are trying to ferment this view of aggression and negativity," she said.

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