Government under fire over immigration as 70 tents pitched along Grand Canal

James Cox

The Government has been criticised over immigration policy with 70 asylum seekers staying in tents pitched along Dublin's Grand Canal.

It comes after a 'tent city' outside the International Protection Office (IPO) on Mount Street was cleared.

The location is close to Mount Street where around 100 tents were cleared from outside the IPO last week.

Many asylum seekers are sleeping rough as the State struggles to keep up with demand for accommodation.

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said the Government is not in control of the issue.

Mr Tóibín told Newstalk: "We have a situation at the moment where the Government is spending quite a bit of money on a process to differentiate between those who need help, and those who don't.

At the end of that process, when people have been decided upon that they're not asylum seekers, 85 per cent of those people find themselves not receiving an actioned deportation order. I believe that is putting an incredible pressure on the system."

The Social Democrats have criticised the Government for not allowing "shanty towns" on Dublin's streets, but "standing by" as over 70 tents were pitched along the Grand Canal over the weekend.

Sinéad Gibney, an MEP candidate for the Social Democrats, said the State needs to house these people properly.

Ms Gibney told Newstalk: "Nobody wants to be homeless and the conditions that they [asylum seekers] are living in really are unsanitary and unsafe.

"We know this from any international protection applicant spending time on the street, they feel extremely vulnerable and are subject to increased danger. I really don't think we should be looking for solutions like extra police, because as a State we should be providing accommodation for these people."

Migration has been in the spotlight recently after Minister for Justice Helen McEntee claimed 80 per cent of migrants arriving here were crossing the border from Northern Ireland.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin disputed the figure, saying it was "not statistical".