Established in 2000, Direct Provision (DP) is “the name used to describe the accommodation, food, money and medical services you get while your international protection application is being assessed or while you are an asylum seeker”, according to Citizens Information. National and international reports from Amnesty International argue, however, that Direct Provision accommodation is a violation of basic human rights. According to Social Justice Ireland, 148 complaints from DP residents were received in 2018. Most related to the refusal of transfer requests to other centres, the facilities at Direct Provision centres, accommodation, and refusal to re-admit residents to centres.
“DP centres are often in isolated locations far from local communities”
Successive governments have faced calls to dismantle the system. This led to Roderic O’Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, publishing a white paper in February 2021 on phasing out Direct Provision centres, in favour of an international protection system by the end of 2024. As Amnesty International explained, “DP centres are often in isolated locations far from local communities”. In contrast, this new international system would allow asylum seekers to live in and be part of Irish communities, with such a framework of co-existence hopefully leading to fewer divisions between Irish citizens and immigrants.
For example, throughout the Troubles in Northern Ireland, civil rights activist John Hume used his “single-transferable speech” to reiterate one message: the only way to achieve peace is through productive dialogue. For Hume, only by speaking with one another can we understand one another and coexist with one another; such is the aim of the international protection system.
Karim Al Abbasi, a fourth year Computer Science student at Trinity, made this very point. In 2018 he fled Syria with his parents due to social and political dangers. He subsequently arrived in Ireland via a family reunification visa through his brother, who has been living here since 2015. Due to the high cost of living in Dublin, they “had to go through Direct Provision for homeless people” and subsequently moved into a DP centre in the Bonnington Hotel in Drumcondra. The small room he stayed in contained just one bed, which he shared with his mother. Combined with weak Wi-Fi connection and a commute of “between an hour to an hour and a half” to his school in Balally, he found this living situation to be “a factor [negatively] influencing [his] academic life”.
Similarly, Al Abbasi explained how he “had to be a strong helping hand” for his family, as he spoke better English than his parents. This meant that he had to help them with documentation and booking appointments, viewing these extra administrative burdens as infringements on his time, more so than his other peers.
“What really assisted Al Abbasi through these challenges was his daily interactions with the other people in the centre he was staying in, many of whom had similar experiences”
However, Al Abbasi persevered. He availed of a “two-hour after school study service” in his secondary school which cost him €30 a month. This allowed him to maintain the academic heights he had reached in Syria. What really assisted Al Abbasi through these challenges was his daily interactions with the other people in the centre he was staying in, many of whom had similar experiences. He noted how they looked out for each other and cooked together in the small communal kitchen, a facility which many DP centres do not have. Likewise, he “got really good feedback from the school staff and students there”, made friends very easily, and practised public speaking.
Another Trinity student, who wishes to remain anonymous, had a similar experience. In 2019, she arrived in Ireland from India at 15 years old with her parents and her 13 year old brother. She explained how her earliest memory in Direct Provision was “of how welcoming everyone was”. She and her family “got to know people of the same background and similar stories” and they “bonded on trauma”. Once again, the co-existence and shared stories of these immigrants forged a social harmony between them.
What was most important to both these students was education. However, both also highlighted the high cost of college in Ireland. Al Abbasi discussed how “entering college in Ireland is a bit difficult because it’s not free and there’s also some strict qualifications for international students”. The anonymous student also explained that since “[she] was not a permanent resident [she] had to pay international student fees”. This was simply unfeasible for both students. Hence, they turned to the Trinity Access Programme (TAP) and the Asylum Seekers Access Scholarships (ASAP).
Al Abbasi had initially applied for a scholarship at Trinity, but was rejected. Despite this, the college consequently “had [his] contact details” and he “got a call from the ASAP and TAP section as well”. This critical call only came the day before the deadline, however, meaning that he “spent the entire day writing the essays” and reflections of his experiences for his TAP application, as the college “needed that information to see if I actually ticked their boxes” for the programme. His application was successful and “everything changed” for him.
Despite the fact that “the entirety of the TAP foundation course was done online”, Al Abbasi found it to be “an experience that I keep missing” as it was “very chill and very welcoming”. Since he “wasn’t used to life at college”, “the fact that they were very chill and welcoming and easy-going made it suitable for [him] to get to know College”. Both students settled into life well at Trinity: Karim was attracted to the college’s “international environment”, while the anonymous student found that “people in Trinity were very welcoming.” Al Abbasi eventually became a Trinity Global Ambassador, tying in with his belief in the importance of rhetoric and public discourse.
“He hopes that we can ‘bridge the gap between Irish people and immigrants and coexist and understand each other and relate to each other'”
In terms of moving forward with immigration, Al Abbasi thinks Ireland could take some lessons from social divisions in the North. Al Abbasi pointed out that “Irish people historically have been through so much” and so can empathise with other hardships. He hopes that we can “bridge the gap between Irish people and immigrants and coexist and understand each other and relate to each other”. The anti-immigrant protests in the city centre last year have not helped with this process. The anonymous student described how these protests “really scared [her]” and wished that “people could see immigrants as humans and not just ‘people who don’t belong here’”.
Al Abbasi believes that “the government could be mindful about the experiences that these immigrants had in their home countries”. He highlighted the struggles in Syria, including “wars, genocide, political problems, a very low standard of living, and an almost non-existent income”. Most importantly, though, he advised that the government should strive “to make education more accessible” and noted that access to third-level education was “a bit more difficult than [he] expected”. He hopes for a future promotion of scholarships.
Both Al Abbasi and the anonymous student have made it clear that, in spite of the adversities of Direct Provision, coexistence with other immigrants was both possible and necessary. So why can’t it be the same with Irish people? Through coexistence and education Ireland can see a brighter future for all of its inhabitants.
