Asylum seeker tents erected at new Grand Canal location

The international protection applicant tents have popped up outside a building at Leeson Street Bridge, Dublin 2, while at least six more are present along the footpath at the bridge.

Aubrey Mc Carthy, co-founder of homelessness and addiction charity Tiglin, who have been providing tents for asylum seekers who have an IPO card proving they are an International Protection Applicant said his organisation are aware of the “small encampment”.

“The numbers have largely dropped since the last movement. Before we were giving anywhere up to 40 tents per day, but at the moment we are probably giving out about 15,” he told the Irish Independent.

However, he said that that number and the demand is still high.

“When they come to the Lighthouse, Tiglin offers them hot food and toiletries and if they have an IPO card, then they are given a tent. We try and phase it so it is not all given out at the same time,” he said.

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On the growing numbers at the camp and those previously pitched at the Grand Canal and in Ballsbridge, Mr McCarthy said similar to Irish migrants abroad in New York or other cities, asylum seekers huddle together when they arrive and exchange knowledge on where to go.

“You feel safe in those numbers and then you end up increasing the numbers beyond 80 and that is where the problem is,” he added.

It is the latest encampment in the city, after Dublin City Council liaised with the International Protection Accommodation Services (Ipas) to arrange accommodation for a number of asylum seekers who had pitched tents in nearby Herbert Park on Saturday.

The park camp was removed by Friday evening with all those camping there offered accommodation in Citywest.

The encampment at Leeson Street Bridge is the latest to emerge following the removal of a number of others from areas including the Grand Canal.

Approximately 109 homeless asylum seekers were offered accommodation following a multi-agency clearance of tents from the Grand Canal last week.

Dublin City Council referred the query to the Department of Integration and Ipas, who are yet to respond.

Waterways Ireland said in a statement: “Waterways Ireland can confirm the tents were voluntarily removed by the occupants this morning from the Waterways Ireland property at Leeson Street Bridge”.