Latest news with #internationalprotection
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
High Court blocks residents' bid to challenge use of hotel for housing asylum seekers
The High Court has refused to allow several Co Galway residents to mount a challenge to the Government's decision to house international protection applicants at a hotel. Kinvara residents Ruth Sexton, Mary Boyce, Chris Hartnett Dalton and Paul Collins had asked the court for permission to challenge the decision from March to place up to 98 people in the village's Merriman Hotel, which is home at present to about 50 Ukrainians. The Merriman Hotel has accommodated international protection applicants since 2019, but, the residents said, the Government's decision in March constituted a fresh designation of the building as international protection accommodation. In designating a place as an accommodation centre, the Minister for Integration was obliged to consider the public interest under a statutory instrument provided for in the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018. READ MORE The residents said the Minister breached this obligation in his alleged designation of the building in March. In a ruling, Ms Justice Marguerite Bolger said the decision was not a fresh designation of the premises, so the statutory instrument did not apply. The hotel was clearly designated in 2019 when international protection applicants were first accommodated there, she said. The judge said she was not satisfied the residents had presented arguable grounds on which their case would succeed. She said the Minister was not legally obliged to consult residents or prepare an assessment of how his decision might affect local businesses, the availability of a local venue for family events or the availability of social services where a premises has already been designated as international protection accommodation. Ms Justice Bolger said the Government's decision was mainly grounded on the State's obligation to provide accommodation to those seeking asylum. 'The [residents] accept that the State has a legal obligation to provide accommodation for applicants for international protection, but seem to ask the court to prioritise their personal interest in having a hotel in their locality to accommodate tourists and provide a local venue for their family events over the State's attempt to comply with those national, European and international obligations,' she said. Ms Sexton, of Sexton's Bar, Main Street; Ms Boyce, of Cathercon; Mr Hartnett Dalton, of Northampton; and Mr Collins, of Crushoa, all Kinvara, had sought to bring proceedings against the Minister for Integration and the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Kinvara residents fail in application to challenge decision to accommodate asylum seekers at hotel
Several residents of a Co Galway village have failed in their bid to bring High Court proceedings challenging the Government's decision to house international protection applicants at a local hotel. Kinvara residents Ruth Sexton, Mary Boyce, Chris Hartnett Dalton and Paul Collins had sought the court's permission to challenge the decision in March to place up to 98 people in the Merriman Hotel, which is currently home to about 50 Ukrainian people. Advertisement The Merriman Hotel has accommodated international protection applicants since 2019, but, the residents contended, the Government's decision in March constituted a fresh designation of the building as international protection accommodation. In designating a premise as an accommodation centre, the Minister for Integration is obliged to have regard for public interest, among other considerations, under a statutory instrument provided for in the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018. The residents argued that the Minister was in breach of this obligation in their alleged designation of the building in March. In a judgment, Ms Justice Marguerite Bolger said the decision in March to accommodate 98 people at the Merriman Hotel was not a fresh designation of the premises, and therefore, the statutory instrument did not apply. The hotel was clearly designated in 2019, when international protection applicants were first accommodated there, the judge said. Advertisement The judge said it was not possible to judicially review the decision complained of by the residents. Ms Justice Bolger said she was not satisfied the residents had presented arguable grounds on which their case would succeed, and denied their application to bring the proceedings. The judge noted that there was no legal obligation on the Minister to consult residents or prepare an assessment of how its decision might impact local businesses, or the availability of a local venue for family events, or the availability of social services where a premises has already been designated as international protection accommodation. The judge said the Government's decision in March is mainly grounded in the State's obligation to provide accommodation to those seeking asylum. Advertisement 'The [residents] accept that the State has a legal obligation to provide accommodation for applicants for international protection but seem to ask the court to prioritise their personal interest in having a hotel in their locality to accommodate tourists and provide a local venue for their family events over the State's attempt to comply with those national, European and international obligations,' the judge said. The case is listed before the judge later this week. The residents – Ms Sexton, of Sexton's Bar, Main Street, Kinvara; Ms Boyce, of Cathercon, Kinvara, Mr Hartnett Dalton, of Northampton, Kinvara; and Mr Collins, of Crushoa, Kinvara – had sought to bring proceedings against the Minister for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability and Integration and the Minister for the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.
Irish Times
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Number of people seeking asylum in Ireland who can access labour market to ‘reduce significantly', analysis finds
Officials believe the number of people seeking asylum in Ireland who can access the labour market will 'reduce significantly' in the coming years. Currently, people seeking international protection can apply for work permits if they have not received a decision on their status within six monthsThey can apply for the permit five months into the asylum process. However, a Department of Justice analysis shows that legislation on labour market access 'is currently under review'. It outlines that under a new international protection Bill, which is needed to bring Irish law up to date and in line with a new European Union migration pact, most international protection applicants (IPAs) would have a first-instance decision 'within five months'. This, according to the document, means 'that the number eligible for labour market access will reduce significantly'. Once someone receives a first-instance decision, they can appeal it. But sources in the non-governmental organisation (NGO) sector are concerned that people seeking asylum will not be able to access the labour market while awaiting an appeal, under the circumstances sketched out in the document. [ Court ruling would give newly arrived asylum seekers more rights than homeless people, Minister claims Opens in new window ] The analysis is contained within a new National Asylum and Migration Management Strategy, published this week by the Department of Justice. The strategy is produced as part of Ireland's decision to opt into the EU migration pact. It also outlines that Government is to set up a new monitoring body – the Chief Inspector of Asylum Border Procedures – which will have responsibility for covering how Ireland implements screening procedures. The new office will ensure EU and international law are complied with, as well as the EU charter of fundamental rights during screenings of people from outside of Ireland and the bloc. It will also oversee the application of a new border procedure which is envisaged under the pact. The office will be charged with investigating any allegations of breaches, with provision made for inspections, investigations and dealing with complaints, according to the document. An advisory board is to be appointed which will have a membership from relevant bodies, including the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, Tusla and the Health Information and Quality Authority. The review reiterates plans contained in an earlier document, published in March , on how Ireland plans to implement measures associated with the pact. These measures include methods to more tightly monitor those seeking asylum here or who have been given an order to leave the jurisdiction. [ Irish tech worker detained by immigration agents in US for 100 days: 'I didn't know when I was getting home' Opens in new window ] Currently, Ireland only uses detention of such individuals in very limited circumstances. It outlines that the department is 'evaluating the feasibility of using technological alternatives to detention'. These could include enabling online check-ins which capture the geographic location of a person. Other measures under consideration include IPAs being subject to regular reporting requirements, or those who are subject to return decisions being required to report more frequently to the Garda or an immigration officer. Such individuals may be required to remain in a certain geographic area, while those seeking international protection might only be granted access to services away from their assigned accommodation under limited circumstances. It also shows that travel or ID documents may be seized or held by the State.
BreakingNews.ie
17-07-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Man who claims he was sought by Zimbabwean machete gang wins challenge to refugee refusal
The High Court has overturned a refugee status refusal for a man who says he worked as a self-employed gold miner in Zimbabwe before he fled because a machete gang was looking for him. The man went before an International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT), which in 2023 refused his application for refugee/international protection status. Advertisement The IPAT said his claim lacked 'general credibility'. It based this finding on what it said were inconsistencies in the detail of his claim for protection given by him at the IPAT oral hearing compared to what he had outlined at earlier stages in the immigration process. He then brought judicial review proceedings, but due to circumstances beyond his control, the case was outside the time limit for doing so, and he had to also apply for an extension of time. Mr Justice Garrett Simons overturned the IPAT decision, saying it was vitiated by error of law and extended time for the bringing of the case. The judge said the man had told the International Protection Office in 2022 that he "ran away from Zimbabwe as I was being looked for by the machete gang", who accused him of sponsoring the activities of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) opposition party. Advertisement He said the gang also wanted 500 grams of gold from him, and he feared for his life. The gang has terrorised and killed people throughout the country, taking their possessions, but nothing has been done to them, he said. When he ran away, they threatened his wife and children, who themselves ran away to his in-laws. Their homestead was burnt down, he said. While he sympathised with the MDC, but did not belong to any political party as he knows the dangers associated with it. He believes the gang belongs to the ruling Zanu PF party because if you try to bring them to justice, nothing is going to be done. He said he had worked hard through gold mining to support his family. Advertisement He said he also later told immigration in 2022 that the day he left, he got a phone call from a fellow gold miner who told him the gang were looking for him and wanted 500 grams of gold he had. At his IPAT interview, he further stated in the days after he left Zimbabwe, he received a telephone call from a man who identified himself as a sergeant in the Zimbabwean police force and told him to present himself forthwith at a police station for questioning. This event reinforced his suspicions of, and a belief in, a dangerous and harmful link between the gang and the state/police. The IPAT expressed concerns over inconsistencies in 'central aspects' of his claim and the introduction of 'significant new claims'. It refused his appeal. In his ruling overturning that decision, Mr Justice Simons said the IPAT failed to properly apply the principles governing the assessment of his general credibility.
Irish Times
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, July16th: On children in direct provision, EV charging and swimming safely
Sir, – Through the work of our organisations, we see the experiences of children, young people and their families in communities all across Ireland. We hear of the hardship and the daily struggles families are facing just to get by each week. This is particularly apparent when it comes to children and families living in direct provision. In recent weeks, the media has been full of talk and promises to address child poverty in the upcoming budget and yet these children, who are among the most at risk of poverty in the country, have been waiting far too long for these promises to be fulfilled. Funds for a child-specific income support for those living in international protection were secured in both Budgets 2024 and 2025, but still – nothing has come to fruition. Currently, children and young people living in the international protection system receive just €29.80 per week. Despite significant increases in the cost of living, this has remained unchanged since 2019. In February 2021 the Government committed to introduce an 'additional monthly payment per child in the form of an International Protection Child Payment' in their White Paper to end direct provision. READ MORE The payment was due to be made available in 2022. With Budget 2024 and Budget 2025 allocating €4.7 million and €8.4 million respectively to deliver this payment, children and young people are still waiting for this to happen. Children living in direct provision are the only group of children in the country to see zero increase in supports through successive budgets. Without any means to tackle the increased cost of living, these children are more likely to get pulled into poverty which affects all aspects of their life, from their health and nutrition to their social and emotional development. This is simply not good enough and in a country as wealthy as Ireland, there is no excuse. The investment is there; we now need to see implementation of the International Protection Child Payment as a matter of urgency. We cannot expect children and families to be able to maintain a decent standard of living with less than €30 a week. Even basic essentials are often miles out of reach. These are children and young people growing up in accommodation with no cooking facilities and without adequate income support, we hear of children eating cold meals or carbohydrate-heavy food for months on end. We are even aware of an instance where a young child ate sugar straight from the bag as a desperate means to keep hunger cravings at bay. Young people in direct provision have expressed how a lack of income means they have few opportunities to take part in activities with their friends and peers after school. The financial cost of school trips, after-school activities such as sport or dance class, or even just going out with friends are mere fantasies, creating major barriers for them to integrate or participate in their local communities. We have heard no good reason as to why this vital income support has not been implemented, because there is none. We cannot face into a third budget cycle with no progress made at all on measures we should already see in train. The current programme for government states that the Government will 'set an ambitious child poverty target ensuring a focus on inequality'. If they are to truly realise this commitment, we must see real action to lift all children and young people in direct provision out of poverty. We urge the Government to act immediately on this by providing an adequate child payment for those in direct provision with the funding secured in Budgets 2024 and 2025. – Yours, etc, TANYA WARD, Chief executive, Children's Rights Alliance, SUZANNE CONNOLLY, Chief executive, Barnardos, TERESA HEENEY, CEO, Early Childhood Ireland, NICK HENDERSON, CEO, Irish Refugee Council, MARY CUNNINGHAM, CEO, National Youth Council of Ireland, LOUISE BAYLISS, Head of Social Justice and Policy, Society of St Vincent de Paul, (And 13 others) Dublin. Portiuncula hospital Sir, – The decision by the HSE on the future operations at the Portiuncula Maternity Hospital, Ballinasloe, Co Galway puzzle me ('M aternity services across Ireland should be reviewed, expert group urges following Portiuncula report ,' July 9th). Would it not have been better to remove from the hospital the dangers to the patients rather than the patients? – Yours, etc, GERALDINE GREGAN, Clarecastle, Co Clare. Culture and exclusivity Sir, – I was taken aback by the headline ' Forget bonfires, Croke Park is where our culture is this weekend, ' (July 14th). What I found most disturbing was the use of the word 'our' and its exclusivity as regards culture on this island. It is absolutely true that Moygashel was a disgrace. However, in general, Orange Order parades go off peacefully, if somewhat noisily at times. The Orange Order and its general secretary, Mervyn Gibson, have done a lot of good work in this regard in recent years as have people in west Belfast in relation to transferring energies into féile an phobail events. In 2018 I attended the Belfast 12th of July parade as part of an official Irish government delegation, led by then minister for tourism and sport Brendan Griffin. Before the parade we had a meeting in the Grand Central Hotel with members of the Orange Order which was friendly and informative. Indeed, during the parade it stopped where we were standing and the grand marshall and others came over to welcome us and shake our hands. Surely, if we are to have reconciliation on this island we need to embrace cultures other than the very important, but not exclusive, 'Gaelic' culture and here I refer to the 'tribe' and not the game. Because the headline would indicate that there is one legitimate culture on this island which is the sole repository of 'our' culture. Moygashel and other excesses, appalling as they may be, should not be taken as a reason to reject the loyalist/unionist culture as a legitimate and equal culture on this island. I say this as someone who is a strong believer in Irish unity and a lifelong GAA member. Indeed, the validation of different cultures is a pre-requisite to unity. I believe the headline betrays a somewhat partitionist mentality which has been gaining currency in the Republic where we are defining ourselves in increasingly separatist terms. Here, I must acknowledge the outstanding and vital research being conducted by ARINS, led by Prof Brendan O'Leary and supported by The Irish Times in relation to North/South issues, often without sufficient recognition. Also, I am sure Malachy Clerkin, a journalist whom I admire greatly, was not being perniciously exclusive. But separation rather than unity is a creeping trend. – Yours, etc, JIM D'ARCY, Blackrock, Co Louth. Up Meath, and Donegal Sir, – Instilled with a pride for Meath football from a very early age (by a very proud Meath woman, my mother), I reflected upon the scoreline from the semi-final on Sunday. While it may have been far from the desired outcome on the day, but at a time where sad news, bad news, and global uncertainty can dominate the world headlines, this Meath team gave us something to focus on, lifting the spirits of the county, creating great banter with our neighbours, and a few great trips to Croke Park over the summer! It reignited many happy childhood memories, of Sunday afternoons over great summers. Our household, and my loyal friend Catherine, cheering for the greats such as Martin O'Connell, Robbie O'Malley, David Beggy, Graham Geraghty, Liam Hayes, Trevor Giles to name only a few, and when Ollie Murphy got that ball, we knew great scores were ahead! I will always remember the excitement when Liam Hayes brought the Sam Maguire to our school in Westmeath (thanks to his sister, who was our amazing English teacher). The excitement and passion in her eyes on sharing the experience was so energising. Meath have a fantastic up and coming team and I look forward to the future experiences that they will lead us through. Donegal played a great game on Sunday. Their supporters were brilliant craic, and on Sunday it was their turn to have the excitement in their eyes. Wishing them the very, very best to take it all the way in the All-Ireland. In the meanwhile, I'll proudly display my Meath flag, for another while. Up Meath! – Yours, etc, ISOBEL HARRIS, Mullingar, Co Westmeath. Sir, – Please allow me a few personal thoughts on last Sunday's semi-final between Donegal and Meath. I watched in awe our wonderful Donegal boys play with such brilliance and passion, that my heart near stopped and a few tears appeared. I'm going to put myself out there, and say, with the greatest of respect to Kerry: No team could possibly beat such brilliance and passion. So be it. – Yours, etc, BRIAN McDEVITT, Glenties, Co Donegal. Charging your vehicles at home Sir, – I totally agree with the selection of reader responses regarding the challenges of public charging of EVs. It is not good enough and a lot of public charging doesn't fit the profile of its users. However, I think it would have been good to get the perspective of somebody with a driveway and a home charger. For these people, EVs are a brilliant idea. A fuel pump in your driveway that fills the car overnight at cheap prices? Sign me up. Well, I did sign up 3½ years ago, and my average annual fuel bill is about ¤150 for 15,000km. And I have never had to wait for a public charger because less than 10 per cent of my charging is done publicly, generally on holidays. There are a lot of petrol and diesel cars sitting in driveways this morning that could just as easily be EVs with home charging at no inconvenience to their drivers. – Yours, etc, CHRIS CUMMINS, Sandyford, Dublin 18. City centre and apartment living Sir, – Richard Allen (Letters, July 15th) notes that despite long campaigning for the desirability of apartments, former Irish Times environment editor, Frank McDonald, has now 'changed his mind' and decided to move to the suburbs, perhaps missing the fact that Mr McDonald has moved from one apartment to another. Mr McDonald explained his move was due to several factors including the Government's failure to protect city centre apartment dwellers with appropriate 'European style' noise control legislation. Those of us agreeing with Mr McDonald, that apartments are desirable, environmentally friendly and suitable for many Irish people, are dismayed to find the Government once again lowering apartment standards rather than introducing a coherent planning and regulatory framework to support apartment and city centre living. The focus should be on giving people the option to live in the city centre, rather than the option to move out. – Yours, etc, STEPHEN WALL, Rialto, Dublin 8. Sir, – May I correct Frank McDonald when he refers to the Meeting House in Eustace Street as a Presbyterian Meeting House (' Why I moved out of Temple Bar after 25 years: I feared our home would become uninhabitable, ' July 12th)? It was in fact a Quaker Meeting House (Society of Friends) Meeting House. With respect. – Yours, etc, HELEN BAILY, Dublin. Swimming safety and rip currents Sir, – Too many of our young people especially are drowning in our seas and rivers on an all too regular basis, often caused by rip currents. Many of these tragedies are completely avoidable, even for non-swimmers. People tend to panic when they encounter a rip current and assume you must try to swim ashore to survive it, however the current will only pull you offshore, exhaustion sets in and, too often, tragedy strikes. What one actually needs to do to survive a rip current is to swim parallel to the shore (or wade if possible) until you are free of the rip, only then should you swim or wade ashore. Why aren't there more visible preventative guidelines on rip currents available from Water Safety Ireland? Guidelines on signs at beaches? Maybe a summer television ad demonstrating what to do if one encounters a rip current, for example? Information confined to an authority's website is not going to have the same reach. Let's not lose any more people unnecessarily to our waters. – Yours, etc, ANNETTE CANTWELL, Perrystown, Dublin 12. Continuing woes of letter writers Sir, – I've been writing letters to The Irish Times for years, mainly criticising Ireland's role as an international tax haven. You think you notice patterns over the years (very subjective this). I used to have a hit rate of one in three letters being published. A few years ago I wrote strident letters (unpublished) criticising having Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe reviewing books on economics. My hit rate fell to one in five around then and has stayed like that until recently. To my surprise my letter critical of Paschal Donohoe's reviews was published a couple of months ago. This is my 14th letter since and none have been published. Is this a record? – Yours, etc, PAUL CONNOLLY, Cavan. Sir, – Until recently, in the Letters page, you regularly printed an advisory to letter writers that it is possible to find space for only a small selection of the many letters received. In doing so, you yourself used up valuable space. Lately, you've taken to publishing letters by letter writers about letter writers, often themselves, whose letters have not been published. Words fail me. – Yours, etc, MICHAEL KEEGAN, Booterstown, Co Dublin. Sir, – If you think it's difficult to get a letter printed in the Irish Times (Rejection is cruel, but rejection by..., Letters, July 15th), you should try The Guardian! – Yours, etc, BILL REDMOND, Edinburgh Scotland. Sir, – 'A rejection may spoil your breakfast but you shouldn't let it spoil your lunch,' to paraphrase Kingsley Amis. – Yours, etc, ANNE MARIE KENNEDY, Co Galway.
