Government urged to intervene as Cork-based asylum seeker continues hunger strike

The Government is being urged to intervene in the case of an Indian asylum seeker living in direct provision in the city.

On Thursday, Nadim Hussain entered day eight of his hunger strike campaign to achieve permission to remain status in Ireland.

The 34-year-old has lived at the Kinsale Road direct provision centre since coming to Ireland in 2019 after both of his parents were killed in anti-Muslim violence.

Last month, he received a letter from the International Protection Appeal Tribunal (IPAT) which affirmed a recommendation of the international protection officer which stated that he should be refused a declaration as a refugee along with subsidiary protection status.

He is pleading to be granted leave to remain in Ireland and says he fears for his life if he was to be deported back to his home country.

Mr Hussain said he is still awaiting a decision in regard to permission to remain in the country.

Speaking to The Echo from his accommodation on day eight of his hunger strike, he said that he is feeling much weaker and is continuing to vomit regularly.

He said that his stomach is particularly paining him and that his “brain is spinning” but is yet to receive any medical attention.

Both the Irish Refugee Council and the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI) have called on the Government to address Mr Hussain’s situation as soon as possible and before his health further deteriorates.

A spokesperson for the Irish Refugee Council told The Echo: “We call on Government to address Mr Hussain’s situation as soon as possible and before his health further deteriorates. We are very concerned about his welfare and health, more than seven days into a hunger strike.

“We have repeatedly called for people who worked in the healthcare sector during the pandemic to be offered permission to remain as an exceptional recognition of their contribution to Irish society. We wrote to Ministers Humphreys and Browne on Wednesday morning requesting that permission to remain be granted.”

In a statement, MASI said it is concerned for the wellbeing of Mr Hussain and urged the Minister for Justice to expedite the Section 49 review process with a view of granting him permission to remain.

“MASI reiterated the call we made earlier for the Irish Government to grant long-term residence (permission to remain) to all frontline workers with precarious immigration permission in the State and workers without an immigration permission,” it said. 

MASI said that a hunger strike is “an appeal to the good conscience of those who have the power to effect positive change” and that it is also an appeal to the collective conscience of Irish society to reflect on how asylum seekers are treated.

An anti-deportation rally is set to take place in Cork city on Friday afternoon in support of Mr Hussain. 

The rally was organised by Connolly Youth Movement (CYM) and will take place at 1pm at Cork City Library.