'They have nowhere to go': Fears of homelessness after direct provision ends

THOUSANDS of people could end up homeless in the coming year as a result of being moved out of direct provision centres, a Cork social justice campaigner has warned.

Cork’s Community Action Tenants Union (CATU) staged a rally recently in solidarity with people being moved out of a direct provision centre which houses up to 300 people on the Kinsale Road in Cork city.

Co-founder of the Anois agency, Frank O’Connor, was present in support of the two people being moved out. Some of the hundreds of residents inside have lived there for years, but are now receiving letters saying they have to leave by a certain date to make way for new arrivals.

Those being moved out are not being given suitable accommodation to move on to, instead only letters referring them to housing agencies such as the Peter McVerry Trust which are already overstretched, said Mr O’Connor.

The moving out of residents is occurring with two or three people at a time, making it difficult for people to mobilise against the issue, added Mr O’Connor.

“They want to move people out, to move more people in. What’s happening is that they’re not really providing any kind of support for the people being moved out.”

These people are working in Cork’s bars and cafés, cleaning, or serving food, or working on building sites. Having built lives for themselves in Cork, and been given permission to stay in Ireland, they are being told to leave the direct provision centre for a different location.

A spokesperson for CATU said that once people achieve refugee status, they are told they are no longer the responsibility of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY).

“People are free to find accommodation themselves, but obviously with the housing crisis they have nowhere to go,” he said. Some of the residents are referred to Kilbride Army Camp in the Wicklow mountains, where they might be put in bunk beds or a tent.

“There are people who vitally need healthcare. They have appointments in Cork, to do with diseases, with children waiting for speech therapy.”

Mr O’Connor said families are being split up. One vulnerable man with serious medical issues has refused to get on the taxi bus to Wicklow, as he requires medical care in a Cork hospital on a weekly basis.

“They’re giving him no choice. If he doesn’t go to Wicklow or Cavan or somewhere, they’re saying ‘we can’t help you anymore’.”

The letter they receive contains the name of a housing organisation such as the Peter McVerry Trust, who will refer them to Cork City Council, who will refer them to the homeless service.

The homeless service will say they can’t help until they’re moved out, said Mr O’Connor. The day they’re sent out, then “you can come to us and we might be able to give you a bed for the night”. The day they’re leaving, there will be a bus and that will take them to Wicklow, or Cavan, he said.

One resident who had to leave is from South Sudan and has suffered extreme trauma. He is trying to reunite with his children in a few weeks, but is still learning English.

“He hasn’t got the supports he should have,” said Mr O’Connor. 

“If he went out today and ended up homeless in Cork, I would fear for his life.

“He wouldn’t be able to navigate the system. He wouldn’t be able to speak to people very well. He’s a lovely man, he’s very fearful. He got on a bus earlier. We showed our solidarity, we met with him.

“We said we’ll keep fighting for his case and we just waved him on, that’s all we could do. He’s gone up to the Wicklow mountains. He doesn’t even know what’s waiting for him when he gets there.”

Mr O’Connor is worried that up to 5,000 people may have to leave direct provision centres in the coming year, so those spaces can be re-allocated.

Direct provision residents are afraid to speak up for fear of drawing attention, while others are ashamed of their situation, he said.

“These people are already traumatised. They could end up on the street. These people are the ones who are making the pizzas that we’re getting in our takeaways. These are the ones who are cleaning the amenities, who are working in construction.”

In one case, a Ukrainian woman was given emergency accommodation, but is now being relocated to direct provision. “The housing crisis is just not being solved, and these institutions are just trying to manage numbers,” said one CATU supporter.

Some direct provision residents have been there for seven or eight years. “These people want to leave,” he said. Residents are sending out thousands of emails in the hope of finding accommodation but to no avail. “They put in such hard work into finding a home.”

Mr O’Connor said they just want to get on with their lives. “It’s quite distressing to see them being treated the way they are.”

A Department of Integration (DCEDIY) spokesperson said that in order for the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) to accommodate those still in the International Protection process, “we must transfer those who have been granted ‘international protection/permission to remain’ for the greatest length of time to alternative accommodation”.

“There are currently over 5,200 people in IPAS accommodation who have been granted ‘international protection/permission to remain’ in Ireland and they have the same entitlements to citizens of Ireland in relation to housing and social welfare supports,” he said.

“As those people have had their application for International Protection determined, they are no longer considered ‘applicants’ and therefore are no longer entitled to Material Reception Conditions.

“Those with ‘international protection/permission to remain’ granted for the greatest length of time are being offered a transfer to alternative emergency accommodation so that those currently still in the International Protection process can be accommodated in our accommodation centres where they can receive supports. Those currently being offered this transfer have had their permission granted for at least 18 months.

“Due to the acute shortage of IPAS accommodation it is not always possible to transfer those persons to emergency accommodation close to where they currently reside.

“A dedicated IPAS unit works intensively with funded organisations like the Peter McVerry Trust and DePaul to assist people who have been granted ‘international protection/permission to remain’ in their efforts to move into housing within the community.

“IPAS write to all persons in IPAS accommodation once granted status and notify them of their support workers contact details from either PMVT or Depaul.

“Since 2020 over 2,800 people have progressed into the community from IPAS accommodation,” added the DCEDIY spokesperson.