‘Unlivable’ conditions for asylum seekers on Mount St

Conditions for people living in tents on Mount Street in Dublin were “unlivable”, the co-founder of the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland Lucky Khambule has said.

Asylum seekers have been sleeping rough outside the International Protection Office on the city centre street after the Government stopped providing State accommodation to international protection applicants.

A multi-agency operation is being carried out by the Department of Integration, the Department of Justice, Gardaí, Dublin City Council, the Office of Public Works and the HSE.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Mr Khambule said the people who had been living there were “dependent on volunteers”.

A statement from the Government this morning said people will be moved to accommodation where there will be toilets and showers, health services, indoor areas where food is provided, facilities to charge phones and personal devices, access to transport to and from Dublin City Centre; and 24-hour onsite security, the statement added.

Mr Khambule described the standard of new accommodation for the men as “hopeful’ but said he was concerned that no one knew where they were being moved to or specifics about the new site.

The conditions at emergency accommodation at Crooksling in Co Dublin have improved dramatically since a number of international protection applicants were moved there earlier this year, he added.

He said he hoped there was a Government plan to house more people as they arrived.

“Otherwise it will be up to the volunteers to help these people,” Mr Khambule said.

‘Untenable’ situation

The founder and chairman of Tiglin, which operates a homeless service called the Lighthouse in Dublin city centre near Mount Street, has said the situation had become “untenable”.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Aubrey McCarthy said the number of tents on the streets had doubled over the weekend.

He said that last night, there were 500 people queuing for food and other supplies in the Lighthouse.

Mr McCarthy said they have just three toilets available but there are only another two portable toilets on Mount Street for people to use.

“It is a perfect storm, our housing crisis, the numbers coming in, I think we’ve been sort of caught off guard,” he said.