A Clondalkin councillor says that the Department of Justice is moving “violent men from one IPAS centre to another” – adding that she believes this shows “an appalling lack of concern for the welfare of Irish people, particularly women and children”.
Cllr Linda de Courcy said she raised the issue with the Minister for Justice after a letter written to an asylum applicant came to light which revealed the person was being moved from an IPAS centre in Ballyogan to another in Clondalkin because he “had sent multiple emails threatening the life of a female staff” and engaged in “abusive behaviour towards staff”.
The Independent Ireland councillor said that it was “shocking and completely unacceptable” that “threatening and violent asylum seekers were simply moved from IPAS centre to IPAS centre while local people were being kept in the dark as to what is happening”.
The letter stated that repeated threats to kill a woman working on staff had been made, yet the applicant was being moved to Dolcain House in Clondalkin, a large asylum centre which was the focus of local protests when asylum seekers were moved in, Cllr de Courcy said, adding that it was “almost unbelievable that the threat posed by a violent person would simply be moved on to another community.
She said that the Community Engagement Team and the Minister for Justice seemed more concerned with the right of the person in question to anonymity than the safety of the people of Clondalkin.
“Men like this are being allowed to freely roam the streets of this country. The State has shown no concern for the welfare of residents in areas where these IPAS centres are located,” she said.
Cllr de Courcy said she had written to the Community Engagement Team in the Department of Justice and asked them to comment on the contents of the letter.
Asked if it had been possible to verify the letter, Cllr de Courcy said that neither the Community Engagement Team nor the Department would comment on individual cases, and that she had then submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister through Independent Ireland TD, Ken O’Flynn.
The response to that question, she said, showed that it was the practice of the Department to rehouse asylum applicants who had broken “house rules” – and she said: “we now know that this also applies to a migrant who has repeatedly threatened to kill a woman.”
Independent Ireland TD Ken O’Flynn asked the Minister for Justice “the reason an international protection applicant who had threatened the life of a female staff member at an IPAS facility, was not detained or deported, but moved to another IPAS facility” which he said was “potentially putting the safety of staff members and local residents at risk”.
He also asked what measures “have been put in place to protect other residents and locals in this situation” and what procedures are “in place to apprehend and detain an international protection applicant who has been removed from one facility due to violence or the threat of violence against a staff member or resident, and who does not present himself at his new accommodation, as per instructions from the IPAS mobility team.”
Cllr de Courcy said that the Minister’s reply showed that government’s only concern seemed to be with housing asylum applicants, and that while the Minister had responded with assurances that the asylum seeker’s safety and wellbeing was a priority, no such concerns had been expressed for the local community.
“We have a situation where a man has made repeated threats to kill and he is simply moved on, it almost beggars belief,” she said. “This person should have been deported, not sent to Clondalkin.”
The Minister’s reply said that “while the Department cannot provide information in relation to individual cases, I can assure the Deputy that the safety and wellbeing of all residents and staff in our accommodation centres is a priority for the Department and all IPAS teams.”
“An IPAS accommodation centre is a person’s home while their application for international protection is assessed. On arrival at an accommodation centre, people seeking international protection are provided with the ‘IPAS House Rules’ which explains the rules and procedures that are designed to make reception and accommodation centres safe and effective.
Should there be a breach of house rules, Section 6 of European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 sets out measures that the Department may take when an individual “has committed, or is committing, a serious breach of the house rules of the place of accommodation”.
Usually there are a series of reminders about the house rules and or warnings. If breaches continue, it can be necessary to relocate people following repeated warnings.
Centre management in all IPAS centres all have an ongoing working relationship with the local Gardaí.
If there is ever any concern in relation to acts of violence or other criminal activity in any IPAS setting, An Garda Síochána are engaged.
But Cllr de Courcy said that violent threats needed to be taken seriously: “I care about the people who live in Clondalkin, and their safety. They have a right not to have a man who has engaged in abusive and threatening behaviour. He threatened to kill a woman, something we’re meant to take very seriously, yet the issue was just passed onto another asylum camp,” she said.
“The total lack of concern for the people who live in Clondalkin is staggering,” she added. “The Department of Justice seem to have no concerns with putting Irish people at risk.”
She pointed to reports obtained under FOI which showed more than 1,000 incidents had been recorded in less than 3 years in Citywest including indecent exposure, heroin possession, theft and assault.
“In Citywest, I know that the IPAS centre has a ‘3 strikes and you’re out” policy, but they are clearly not being sent home, they are just being moved on,” she said.
“Obviously, this case is not a reflection of all persons who come here claiming asylum, but a cohort, mostly men, who are clearly violent are being moved from community to community, and the public are being denied any information,” she said.
“We don’t know how often this is happening – and where: there are a lot of unanswered questions,” Cllr de Courcy said.
“The other factor is that tens of thousands of people are now being housed in asylum centres and they arrived here without passports or identification, and they are likely just being moved on if these problems arise.”