A large crowd of close to 100 asylum seekers who gathered outside the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) office on Mount Street in Dublin were told there was no accommodation available for them yesterday.
Some of them had been queueing since early yesterday morning to find out whether there would be accommodated.
IPAS circulated letters to those gathered which said that due to the accommodation shortage, there would be no further offers of accommodation at this time.
The letter also said that their details have been taken and any offer of accommodation would be made by email where appropriate.
They were given details of homeless services in the city including Tiglin, Merchants Quay and the Mendicity Institution.
Gardaí told the men they must disperse and that the office was closed.
Many of the men expressed anger and disappointment after they were addressed by IPAS staff yesterday afternoon who informed them that there was no accommodation available for the day.
Homeless day service Tiglin said it was not given advance notice that the organisation would be included on the letter handed out to IPO applicants seeking accommodation yesterday.
A large queue formed outside The Light House run by Tiglin yesterday evening where tents, sleeping bags and food were due to be provided to those in the city without accommodation.
Olivia Headon, a volunteer who has been helping those seeking international protection, was at Mount Street to talk to some of the men who had been turned away.
"It's hard to get my head around," she said. "These men have been waiting here all day. Many of them have slept around the city last night after hoping to get accommodation yesterday, and then only to be told today that wouldn't be the case, that all the spaces were full."
She said putting the burden on other homeless services in the city was not fair.
Two men said that they were Jordanian-Palestinian and had arrived in Ireland this week. They said they had travelled through Egypt and the UK to get to Ireland.
Another man said he was from Pakistan and had also been in Ireland for just a few days.
Another man who said he was from Togo has been in Ireland for two months now and has not had accommodation. He said he had been sleeping in a tent in the city centre but not at the International Protection Office.
He said he was hoping he might find accommodation.
Another man who said he is Palestinian and has been in Ireland for more than a month, said he had to spend Wednesday night sleeping on a friend's sofa after he was turned away from Citywest after waiting there for more than eight hours last night in the hope of getting a bed there.
Some families also arrived on Mount Street and it is understood they were sent straight to Citywest where their accommodation applications will be processed.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik said it is "appalling" that asylum seekers are again without accommodation and she accused the Government of lacking a coherent plan on migration.
In a post on X, she said: "This is appalling - a clear failure of Gov policy - still no coherent accommodation plan in place."
Barriers remained in place on Mount Street. No tents returned to the area but there were reports that people slept overnight Wednesday in tents in other parts of Dublin city.
