Safety concerns at Cork direct provision centre as over 12 asylum seekers relocated from Clare
Concerns have been raised about the safety of residents at a direct provision centre in Cork city after more than a dozen asylum seekers were transferred from another facility in Clare in recent days.
Roos Demol from the Cork City of Sanctuary Movement said residents had expressed concern over the number of people now living at the Glenvera accommodation centre off MacCurtain St in the city centre.
The Sanctuary Movement has set up a Covid-19 taskforce to enable direct provision residents to provide feedback or raise concerns during the pandemic.
The concerns follow the relocation of more than a dozen asylum seekers from a facility in Milltown Malbay in Co Clare, which was closed last week by the Department of Justice amid concerns over living conditions there.
Now the relocation of residents to Glenvera has prompted fresh concerns that too many people are required to share space and facilities at the Cork centre.
The concerns come just months after the Department of Justice had to reduce the number of people living at Glenvera to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection and spread. In March and April as the pandemic took hold, residents were transferred to the Travelodge Hotel off the Kinsale Road roundabout to reduce occupancy levels.
Ms Demol said it was “outrageous” that people sharing a room should be considered family members in the current Covid-19 climate and that the Department’s policy of no more than three non-family members sharing a room was “too many”.
“In the eyes of the residents, three in a room is far too many but not in the eyes of the Department of Justice,” Ms Demol said.
“The residents are very worried about it especially now when there are outbreaks of Covid-19 in direct provision centres. It’s not overcrowding in the Department’s eyes but for residents putting more people in there is not right,” she added.
“So far nothing has happened there yet but we don’t want it to get worse,” she continued.
Roos Demol said residents are concerned about sharing rooms and facilities, adding they do not "feel safe during a pandemic" having to do so.
The Department of Justice has dismissed claims that more than three non-family members are sharing rooms and confirmed that occupancy levels were down to 65% of the maximum contracted rate of 130 residents.
“The Department implemented a new policy, very early on in the pandemic, to ensure that no more than three non-family members share a room in any of our centres. This continues to be the case in all of our centres including in the Glenvera accommodation centre Cork,” a spokesperson said.
“There are currently 85 persons resident in the Glenvera accommodation centre that has a maximum contracted capacity of 130 persons,” they added.
The Department also pointed out that residents were not required to quarantine if transferring between direct provision centres that did not have Covid-19 outbreaks.
“While all new arrivals and international protection applicants who are requesting to be re-accommodated in one of our centres are subject to a 14-day quarantine, this is not required for current residents transferring between accommodation centres and is in line with public health advice,” a spokesperson said.