“Great concern” after camp fire for homeless asylum seekers | world news
The Irish Refugee Council has condemned recent anti-immigrant protests after a camp for homeless asylum seekers was set on fire.
Nick Henderson, the council’s chief executive, described the act, which took place in Dublin on Friday, as “shocking, disgraceful and deeply disturbing”.
Tensions flared during the Upper Sandwith Street protest after pro- and anti-asylum-seeker protesters, separated by a public order line, faced off.
Shout out! Out! Out of!’ tried to drown out opposing cries of “immigrants are welcome here,” the Irish Times reported.
However, some time after the end of the demonstration, the fire brigade was made aware of a fire at the scene of the accident and it appeared that the entire camp was destroyed.
Mr Henderson has called for homeless migrants to be housed in makeshift shelters as he believes they are now being targeted by the far right.
He added: “We have major concerns about people’s immediate safety.”
“In the last two, three months, there hasn’t necessarily been a specific place in the city where people have gathered.
“That has changed in the last few weeks and now people feel that there is safety in numbers, that they can camp and be closer to people who are in the same situation as themselves.”
“That has now changed, they are clearly being targeted by the far right and their supporters.”
Mr Henderson added that people who come to Ireland to seek asylum and are unable to fend for themselves have a legal right to housing – but he says the system has “collapsed” in recent months.
He said there had been “a waiver of clear legal responsibility in housing” adding that “in reality people had to fend for themselves in many ways”.
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