Catholic communities offer helping hand to asylum seekers, says priest

Catholic schools and parish communities play a vital role in welcoming and supporting families stuck in Direct Provision centres, a Cork-based priest has said.

Commenting on the Millstreet centre, which campaigners believe has the largest number of children of all the Cork Direct Provision sites, Fr John Fitzgerald said that many asylum seekers are well-integrated into and “feel welcomed” by the local community.

Fr Fitzgerald said that plenty of children in the direct provision centre sign up and play hurling and football in the local clubs, despite the number of those fluctuating children, and that the schools embrace and teach them.

“They’re welcomed in the schools and they get a good education,” he said pointing out that the students travel on school tours and take part in Christmas plays.

Report

His remarks come as the latest annual report from the Reception and Integration Agency shows that over the course of 2017, the number of people in accommodation centres significantly increased from 4,425 to 5,096.

The report also revealed that while the average duration of stay by applicants has shortened and the number of people staying for extended periods has fallen, but at the end of 2017, 204 people had still been in Direct Provision for at least seven years.

Speaking about the issue of extended stay, Fr Fitzgerald said that those who have been granted asylum and can leave the centre find it impossible given the unavailability of housing in the country.

“When they do get their papers to find and get accommodation, they have to remain there, because there is a lack of accommodation,” he said.

Fr Fitzgerald added that he hasn’t had “any complaints” from those in the centre.