€166 to fund bed and board at Mosney centre

The Syrians living in direct provision conditions are charged more than €166 bed and board by the State.

Anyone granted refugee status has a legal right to live and work in Ireland. Prior to this they are classed as asylum seekers and the State houses them in a centre, providing bed and board and a small incidental expenditure allowance.

Like asylum seekers, the refugees initially receive the €19.10 a week allowance while their applications are being processed. Once they have their status, or ‘green card’, they get jobseeker’s benefit of €188. however, by then the refugees are paying €166.90 to stay at the centre. And, crucially, the receipt they get from the Department of Social Protection references ‘direct provision’, see left.

One refugee who left his home 14 months ago, said: ‘We weren’t told we were eligible for this jobseeker’s allowance but a friend advised us we were. The woman at the social welfare office said we were but when we went to collect it, we were only left with €22. She said the rest was taken for bed and board by the Government.’

Although they are now entitled to work and study, the refugees say they can do neither as they are marooned in a remote location where a return bus ticket to Dublin costs €15.

They have access to healthcare, but in the absence of any Government-supplied translators, they have to use other englishspeaking refugees to interact with doctors.