Amnesty International Ireland will join groups from around the country tomorrow (Saturday, 18 February 2022) as part of the #IrelandForAll Solidarity March. Calling for Human Rights For All, we and our activists will march in solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers from Parnell Square to the Custom House at 1.30pm.
Amnesty International Ireland Interim Director, Human Rights, Fiona Crowley said: “Successive governments have failed to deliver on housing, including accommodation for asylum seekers. We are now witnessing the fall-out. Ireland has a serious and deteriorating housing crisis in which hundreds of thousands of people are suffering, including those fleeing from war and persecution. Today, we are marching in solidarity with those seeking protection in Ireland and calling on the government to take ownership and deliver on a long-term sustainable housing solution for all.
“It is unacceptable that people coming to our shores in seek of protection are not being provided with adequate accommodation. We are now seeing asylum seekers whose only options are either already overwhelmed homelessness services or sleeping rough. This is a disgrace. These men, women and children have a right under international and Irish law to be here and to be housed. Provided with the opportunities, they can contribute so much to our country. Instead, they are falling victim to a broken housing system. Today we are calling on government to ensure Human Rights for All. We ask the people of Ireland to support that call.”
Amnesty International Ireland believes that the rights of asylum seekers and refugees will only be upheld through the government living up to its promise to end direct provision and replace it with a human rights compliant model; delivery of a long-term sustainable plan to ensure adequate and affordable housing for all in Ireland and a constitutional right to housing to legally compel government to make this happen.