Crippling delays are the biggest crisis facing asylum seekers
MUCH has been made of the opening of new refugee accommodation centres recently, particularly in the case of Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare. With more new centres on the way, however, it’s important to examine why it is that Ireland is opening more centres, and if there is another way.
In 2017, close to 3,000 people came to Ireland in search of protection. If we exclude the 524 persons who arrived from Greece under the now concluded European Union relocation scheme, primarily Syrians – this equates to an increase of just 400 on the previous year.
On average, fewer than 300 people seek asylum in Ireland a month; by any standard, this is eminently manageable.
However, despite the opening of additional centres, refugee accommodation centres remain squeezed, with current capacity straining dangerously close to breaking point, as other centres close. Why is this?
In some cases, particularly for centres in urban areas, the housing crisis has led to increased delays in people with refugee status finding accommodation and moving forward with their lives. Overall however, the most significant issue remains that applications are not being processed quickly enough.
If you arrive in the State tomorrow and apply for asylum, you are likely to wait 19 months just to get an interview under standard procedures.
A decision may take several weeks or months after that, meaning you can reasonably estimate that it will take up to two years to receive a decision on your status. During that time, you will stay in a direct provision centre.
By European standards, this is very long. EU law requires states to
Many countries have laid down such time limits in national law, with a majority of countries setting the limit at six months
ensure that decisions are made on applications as soon as possible, and in normal circumstances within six months.
Many countries have laid down such time limits in national law, with a majority of countries setting the limit at six months.
Unfortunately, Government statistics for 2017 indicate that the situation is only getting worse. There were more than 5,000 people awaiting a protection decision at the International Protection Office (IPO) at the Department of Justice and Equality at the end of 2017. This is up more than 1,000 over the course of the previous 12 months in spite of the introduction of a new single procedure intended to reduce processing times to six months.
The average time residents of refugee accommodation centres had spent in the asylum process was two years and two months at the end of 2017, but for over 20pc of residents it was more than three years.
This is worrying. Research conducted in 2014 by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, concluded that long stays in the refugee accommodation system have adverse effects on the integration of refugees, lead to high rates of unemployment and negatively affect future employment prospects.
A working group established by the Government and chaired by former High Court Judge Bryan McMahon – the first comprehensive review of its kind since refugee legislation was first enacted in 1996 – identified length of time in the asylum system as the key issue to be addressed. The 2015 report noted that each year a person remains in the system gives rise to accommodation costs of €10,950 on average per applicant, but that the cost of decision-making is a fraction of this cost.
The implication is clear. Investment in decision-making capacity pays for itself and is likely to save money in the long run. Furthermore, it is consistent with more general immigration policy and the Government’s stated belief in a report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) last year, that faster processing times should lead to speedier repatriation to countries of origin for those found not to be in need of international protection.
THE focus on living conditions in refugee accommodation centres is understandable, and it must be acknowledged that since 2015 there have been a number of meaningful reforms introduced.
For example, an independent complaints mechanism, the introduction of self-catering facilities and access to the labour market (with access expected to be greatly expanded in June when new legislation is signed into law) all point to a brighter future for asylum-seekers in centres.
What has featured less in political debate, however, is the crucial issue of the length of time people live in centres, and delays in processing their applications.
It’s time to focus less on treating the symptoms and begin finally tackling their cause.