ASYLUM seekers living in up to 80 tents along the Grand Canal in Dublin are due to be moved in the coming days after authorities hold a meeting on the issue tonight.
Last week gardai, Dublin City Council and the HSE held a joint operation to remove a tent village that had developed outside the International Protection Office on Mount Street in the capital.
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Some 285 asylum seekers who had been living in the tents were moved to the CityWest accommodation centre or to a State-run campsite at Crooksling in Dublin.
But the following day around 70 people who had not received accommodation were stuck waiting outside the IPO office with nowhere to go and eventually ended up sleeping on the streets.
In the following days, another tent village developed on the banks of the Grand Canal just around the corner from Mount Street.
Around 80 tents were pitched on the canal banks today with local residents and businesses expressing concerns about the camp.
A multi-agency meeting, which includes gardai, officials from the local council and immigration officials, is due to be held tonight to discuss the situation.
It’s understood that this will likely lead to the removal of the tents along the canal in the coming days with asylum seekers moved to State accommodation.
The Department of Integration has been working to secure new sites on State-owned land where they can establish campsites similar to the one in Crooksling.
These State-run campsites include weather proof military style tents for accommodation, toilets and shower facilities, food services and links to the immigration service.
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Taoiseach Simon Harris today said that he stands by his commitment that tent villages such as the one that appeared on Mount Street will not be allowed to stay in the city.
Speaking on his way into Cabinet, the Fine Gael leader said: “What happened on Mount Street was allowed to go on for weeks and weeks and months and months in fact, this will not be the situation in relation to the Grand Canal.
“Yes from time to time situations will emerge because it’s a very, very difficult and challenging complicated situation but we won’t again stand for a situation in relation to Mount Street.
“We won’t from a humanitarian point of view in relation to people who are coming here and seeking support and we also won’t because we have respect for the laws of this country.”
‘More progress’ to be made
He added: “I am confident that more progress on accommodation will be made in the hours and days ahead.”
The Government is scrambling to find State-owned land to put up camp sites to house asylum seekers.
Equality Minister Roderic O’Gorman is also working to secure a number of large buildings that will be owned by the State and will be used long-term for asylum seeker accommodation.
