Area Development Management (ADM)
Strategies
to
Promote the Inclusion
of
Refugees and Asylum Seekers
1
Contents
Acknowledgements
ADM and its Programmes
About this guide
Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Ireland: Definitions, Profile and Issues
1.
Definitions
Refugees and Asylum Seekers in a Global and European Context
Irish Trends in Asylum Applications
Refugee and Asylum Seeker Policy
Rights and Entitlements of Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Social Exclusion of Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Developing a Local Response: Case Studies
2.
Introduction
Tallaght Refugee Project
Galway Refugee Support Group
Southside Partnership
Partnership Tra Li
3.
Conclusions: What the Case Studies Tell us
A move from initial consultation to wider action
Meeting basic needs leading to further action
Promoting an intercultural society and challenging racism
Networking and building alliances to influence policy and practice
Promoting community development and capacity building
Strategic use of planning, monitoring, research and evaluation
4.
Planning your Strategy
Planning Your Strategy
Undertaking Training
Developing and Equality Policy
Checklist of Possible Actions
Appendices
A.
B.
C.
Proofing checklist for work with refugees and asylum seekers
List of relevant contacts
Bibliography
2
Acknowledgements
ADM would like to thank Bernadine Brady who researched and wrote this guide.
Sincere thanks also to the following people who provided information or advice or
who commented on drafts:
Triona Nic Giolla Choile, Galway Refugee Support Group & Carol Ann Barr, Galway
Partnership
Fran Ryan, Fran Kennedy, Fiona English – Wexford Area Partnership
Denise Byrne, Sheila Dempsey – Ferns Diocesan Youth Service
Alice Binchy, Tallaght Refugee Project
Christine Shepherd, Partnership Tra Li
Ann Moroney, Access Ireland
Anne Griffin, Paula Madden, Southside Partnership
Deirdre Toomey, Ennis
Philip Watt, NCCRI
Jean Pierre Eyanga, Integrating Ireland
Peter O’Mahony, Irish Refugee Council
Aiden Lloyd and Sinead Murtagh, ADM
3
Area Development Management
Area Development Management manages the Local Development Social Inclusion
Programme (LDSIP), which forms part of the National Development Plan. The main
focus of the Programme is to support integrated social and economic development,
promote social inclusion and equality and to facilitate local communities and groups
to tackle disadvantage.
ADM funds and supports thirty-eight Partnership Companies and thirty-three
Community Groups in areas of high social and economic disadvantage. These
companies are directed by independent boards representative of state agencies,
employers, trade unions, farming organisations, the community and voluntary sector
and elected representatives. This ensures a partnership approach to planning and
decision-making at local level.
Some of the principles underlying the LDSIP and adopted at local level by
Partnerships and Community Groups are:
Resources are targeted on individuals and groups who experience the most
extreme poverty and social exclusion;
Strategies to promote equality are actively promoted to achieve a more equal
society;
Community development approaches and principles are applied to achieve the
participation and full involvement of disadvantaged groups and communities in
planning and decision-making at every level;
A meaningful partnership process is encouraged to increase co-operation, coordination and effective decision-making to address the needs identified;
There is an emphasis on integrated and multi-sectoral responses to exclusion
that recognises the social and economic dimensions of exclusion;
Mechanisms are developed to mainstream lessons learned at local level and
maximise their contribution to the policy-making process.
Three core measures make up the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme
•
•
•
Services for the Unemployed
Community Development
Community Based Youth Initiative
Other ADM programmes include the following:
The Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme, administrated by ADM on behalf of
the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, aims to improve the quality of
childcare in Ireland, increase the number of childcare facilities and childcare places
and introduce a co-ordinated approach to the delivery of childcare services.
The RAPID Programme aims to tackle the spatial concentration of unemployment,
poverty and social exclusion within identified designated disadvantaged areas. This
is achieved through the improvement in integration and community-focus of existing
services and the targeting of new and additional services and facilities into RAPID
communities.
ADM jointly delivers the Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation
with the Combat Poverty Agency. The aim of the programme is to reinforce progress
towards a peaceful and stable society and promote reconciliation in the southern
border counties.
4
The Rural Transport Initiative is funded by the Department of Agriculture and Food to
support Partnership and Community Group involvement in developing rural transport
projects for areas experiencing rural isolation.
About this Guide
Refugees and Asylum Seekers are among the named target groups of the Local
Development Social Inclusion Programme and other ADM Programmes due to their
status as people experiencing extreme social, economic and cultural disadvantage.
The issues faced by refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland include poverty,
displacement, racism, health problems and general exclusion from what can be
considered ‘normal’ social life.
As refugees and asylum seekers are recently arrived in many areas, the vast majority
of Partnerships and Community groups have not previously had strategies to address
their needs. While there is considerable eagerness on the part of Partnerships and
Community groups to engage in this work, they are often unsure as to the best way
to proceed, given the often-complex legal, social and cultural issues involved.
In 2000, ADM and the National Consultative Committee on Racism and
Interculturalism (NCCRI) hosted a national conference in Dublin Castle, to provide
local development organisations with an opportunity to discuss how they can
effectively promote the social inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers. The need
for a strategy guide was highlighted at this conference. ADM has produced this
Guide, therefore, to provide Partnerships and Community Groups with possible
strategies and actions to promote the inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers in
their work.
Outline of the Guide
Section 1 provides background information, including definitions, rights and
entitlements of refugees and asylum seekers and an overview of the social exclusion
experienced by refugees and asylum seekers.
In Section 2, four case studies illustrate approaches that have been adopted in local
areas to promote the inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers.
From these case studies, common approaches and strategies are synthesised in
Section 3.
Section 4 outlines a step-by-step approach to developing a strategy to promote the
inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers. A checklist of possible actions under the
headings of community development, community based youth initiative and services
for the unemployed is provided.
5
Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Ireland:
Definitions, Profile and Issues
1.
Definitions
The commonly accepted definition of a refugee is contained in the 1951 Geneva
Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees:
‘A person, who, owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons or race,
religion, nationality, membership of a social group or political opinion, is outside the
country of his or her nationality and is unable, or owing to such fear, unwilling to avail
himself of the protection of that country; or who not having a nationality and being
outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is
unable, or owing to such fear is unwilling to return to it.’
This places an obligation on the States which have ratified the Convention (including
Ireland) to provide appropriate protection to a person deemed to be a refugee under
this definition.
Refugee Status
The Irish government grants ‘Refugee Status’ to those people who they consider fulfil
the requirements of the definition of the 1951 Convention, as interpreted by domestic
legislation and procedures. Refugee Status grants rights available by law to those
people who live in Ireland but are not Irish citizens. Like other non-national residents,
refugees can apply for residence after one year and for citizenship after three years.
There are two main categories of refugees in Ireland, Programme Refugees and
Convention Refugees, and a third smaller category, ‘Humanitarian Leave to Remain’.
A Programme (or quota) Refugee is a person who has been invited to
Ireland on foot of a government decision in response to humanitarian
requests from bodies such as the UNHCR (United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees). In recent years the majority of Bosnian and
Vietnamese refugees have been granted refugee status as Programme
Refugees.
A Convention Refugee is any individual who seeks refuge in a host society
and is granted refugee status under the terms of the 1951 Convention. As
with Programme Refugees, they are entitled to take up employment and to
receive health, education, social welfare, housing and other public services
on the same basis as Irish nationals.
Humanitarian Leave to Remain is granted at the discretion of the Minister
for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to allow on humanitarian grounds a
person to remain in the State who does not fully meet the requirements of
the 1951 Convention. Asylum seekers with Humanitarian Leave to Remain
receive a residence permit which is renewable every year, pending an
improvement in the situation in their country of origin. After 5 years they can
apply for citizenship.
An Asylum Seeker is a person who seeks to be recognised as a Convention
Refugee under the terms of the 1951 Geneva Convention.
6
People may suffer persecution and seek refuge for other reasons than those
accounted for by the Geneva Convention definition. These could include war
resisters, deserters or people suffering from human rights violations because of their
gender, sexuality, disability or other factors (Torode et al., 2001). States have
developed various forms of protection to complement the Geneva Convention
definition. For example, in Ireland, the Irish Refugee Act, 1996 offers additional
protection in that it specifically mentions gender and sexual orientation as grounds
within the category of ‘social group’.
Parents of Irish born children and the spouse of either EU citizens or EU nationals
may also be granted residence, i.e. the right to remain in Ireland. This is known as
‘having the green book’. Rights of residence are slightly less than those of refugees
on issues such as family reunification and third level grants and they also need reentry visas if they travel abroad.1
Under the EU 'Dublin Convention', asylum applicants should make their application
in the first point of entry into the European Union. The Convention prevents refugees
who are refused entry in one country from seeking asylum in another EU country.
Applicants may be sent back to the first EU country they entered.
Asylum seekers and refugees are sometimes wrongly referred to as illegal
immigrants or economic migrants. A person who has informed the authorities of
his / her arrival, has lodged an application for asylum or been granted asylum is not
an illegal immigrant.
An economic migrant is considered as someone who ‘voluntarily leaves his country
in order to take up residence elsewhere … if he is moved exclusively by economic
considerations, he is an economic migrant and not a refugee’ (UNHCR). It can be
sometimes hard to define the difference between an economic migrant and a
refugee. As Cullen (2000) points out, those fleeing famine caused by war are
effectively refugees, as they cannot be assured of protection from hunger in their
home countries.
Refugees and Asylum Seekers in a Global and European Context
The number of migrants in the world is currently estimated to be 130 million (2% of
the worlds population), compared to 80 million in 1965. Of the 130 million migrants
worldwide, 18 million are refugees. In the EU, there are 20 million migrants. Walley
(2001) outlines some of the key factors influencing migration trends:
Globalisation: The economies of the world have become more integrated, with a
rapid growth in international trade, financial flows and the growing power of multinational corporations. Globalisation is driving economic growth and increasing
overall global wealth. To increase their wealth, countries must become integrated
into the global investment infrastructure, as Ireland has done, with the result that it
has become a country of immigration rather than emigration.
But globalisation has an inherent dynamic, creating growing inequality within and
between countries. While 85% of the world population live in developing countries,
70% of foreign direct investment goes to the developed countries, including Ireland.
This results in considerable poverty and exclusion in developing countries. Over one
1
The right to residence on the basis of parentage of an Irish born child has recently been challenged in
the courts by the state.
7
fifth of the world’s population live in abject poverty, with 1.5 billion living on less than
$1 per day.
Technology: The global economy has driven growth in the development of advanced
forms of information technology. Telephone, television and the internet bring stories
and images about different lifestyles and cultures to people all over the world, which
may create a pressure for migration. Also, the development of the aeroplane and
worldwide travel has made it easier for people to move across borders.
Population: It is estimated that between 2000-2025, the labour force in low-income
countries is set to grow from 1.5 billion to 2.5 billion. Trade or investment at current
levels will not be sufficient to provide jobs for this labour force. At the same time,
the European population will decline. Europe will require a large inflow of people if it
is to maintain current levels of population and service the needs of industry.
Violence / wars / famine: People flee their home countries to seek refuge from wars,
famine, drought and political persecution.
These factors show that migration patterns are influenced strongly by the global
economic system, of which Ireland is a beneficiary. Western developed countries
have effectively created the pressure for migration and rely upon it to fuel increased
economic growth.
Refugees
Refugees are a global and an ancient phenomenon. As long as there has been war,
persecution of social groups and abuses of human rights in the world, there have
been refugees. It was only in the twentieth century, however, that a co-ordinated
international response to the plight of refugees was developed (Torode et al, 2001).
Table 1: Persons of Concern to the UNHCR. Source: www.UNHCR.ch
According to the UNHCR (2001), there are nearly 20 million refugees and other
groups 'of concern' to the agency in more than 150 countries, including asylum
seekers, refugees returning home and people displaced within their own
countries – so-called internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Europe receives less than a third of global refugees and asylum seekers. Poorer
neighbouring countries in Africa and Asia host most asylum seekers.
8
In Europe, refugee and asylum seeker numbers rose in 1997 after a general fall
from the previous high point in 1991, and are continuing to rise. The major
reason appears to be war and civil conflict in an increasing number of countries,
and the resulting gap, in terms security and prosperity, between life in such
countries and life in Europe (Faughnan and Woods, 2000).
In 1999 and 2000, the main countries of origin of asylum seekers in Europe were
persons from ex-Yugoslavia followed by citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Different nationalities of asylum seekers cluster in particular countries rather than
being dispersed evenly over them all (Woods and Humphries, 2001).
Because of the increase in asylum applications, Western countries have tried to
restrict the numbers of asylum applicants. As a result, many people who do not
fit the exact definition of ‘refugee’ may be refused. EU member states have now
begun to harmonise their immigration policies, a process that has become known
as the creation of a ‘fortress Europe’. Joly (1996) argues that because only a
small number of asylum-seekers obtain Convention Refugee status, others are
considered to be ‘fraudulent’ and that they are really economic migrants or illegal
immigrants. This has resulted in the notion of ‘asylum seeker’ or ‘refugee’ being
criminalised which contravenes the spirit of the Geneva Convention.
The UNHCR estimates that women and their dependent children constitute
between 75 and 90% of the world’s refugees. However, men constitute the
majority of the world’s asylum seekers, i.e. those people who seek protection
through legal means. In Ireland, women form approximately one third of all
refugees who apply for asylum. Women often cannot afford to travel, have the
additional responsibility of caring for children and / or lack the necessary
education. (ICCL, 2000).
Irish Trends in Asylum Applications
As Table 2 highlights, Ireland received less than 500 asylum applications per year
until 1996. From 1996 to 2000, the numbers applying for asylum rose sharply,
reaching 10,938 in 2000, before declining to 10,325 in 2001.
Total Asylum Applications in Ireland: 1992-2001
15000
10000
5000
0
Number
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997 1998
1999
2000
2001
39
91
362
424
1,179 3,883 4,626 7,724 10,938 10,325
Table 2: Applications for Asylum in Ireland: 1992-2001 (Source: Department
of Justice, Equality and Law Reform)
9
Total numbers of refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland is small compared to
numbers in other European countries such as Germany, France, the UK and the
Netherlands. At a ratio of 1.25 per 1000 asylum seekers to inhabitants in 1998
and 2.1 in 1999, Ireland is around the middle of the EU range (Faughnan and
Woods, 2000).
Nigeria and Romania were the main source of origin for people seeking asylum in
Ireland between 1992 and 2001, followed by Moldova, Ukraine, Russia and
Croatia.
Recognition Rates for Refugee Status
While the pattern of people seeking asylum in Ireland is in line with European trends,
asylum seekers seem less likely to gain refugee status in Ireland, than in many other
European countries. In 1998, Ireland gave recognition to 13% of asylum seekers,
compared to 44% in Finland, 29% in the UK and 55% in Denmark.
Ireland’s recognition rate is low for asylum seekers coming from countries with welldocumented strife. For example, asylum seekers from Somalia had a recognition rate of
69% in industrialised countries in 1998, while Ireland’s recognition rate for Somali’s was
2
36%.
In the period from January to the end of November 2001, 10,957 cases were processed
by the Office for Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC). Of these, 40% were
deemed to have withdrawn from the asylum process or were considered transferable
under the Dublin Convention, 4% were granted status and 56% were refused.
3,558 people lodged an appeal with The Refugee Appeals Tribunal (RAT) over the same
period. 14% of these were granted refugee status. The combined average for the
granting of status in this period was 10%.
Large numbers of people withdraw from the asylum process before their claims are
processed. A proportion get temporary status on the basis of marriage to an EU citizen or
parentage of an Irish born child. In 2000, about a quarter of asylum seekers received
leave to remain on the basis of an Irish-born child. According to Woods and Humphries
(2001), this brings the proportion of asylum seekers who can legally stay in Ireland in line
with the average proportions in other European countries, though the basis for this leave
is somewhat arbitrary.
Having access to legal advice has been found to add greatly to the quality of asylum
applications but recent figures from the Refugee Legal Service show that many of their
clients only registered with them after their interview, while 37% only registered with them
at the appeal stage. It is important, therefore, that all persons applying for asylum in
Ireland should be immediately informed of their right to legal advice and representation
and how to access it (Mullally, 2001).
In a review of procedures for asylum applications in Ireland, Mullally (2001) found that
there is a reluctance to recognise asylum as a human rights issue, with an over-emphasis
on issues of security and control. This has resulted in ‘a culture of disbelief and a refugee
determination system that views its primary aim as the prevention of abuse rather than
the guarantee of protection (p.15).
2
Faughnan and Woods, 2000.
10
Why the increase in asylum seekers in Ireland?
Due to its isolation as an island nation on the edge of Europe and its high levels of
unemployment and agriculturally based economy, Ireland has historically not
attracted migrants, either workers or asylum seekers. Apart from some previous
cases, all of them refugees (Hungarians in 1956; Chileans in 1973; Vietnamese in
1979; Iranian Baha’i in the mid 1980s and Bosnians, in the early 1990s) substantial
non-Irish immigration is very recent, arising only from the mid-1990s onwards. In fact,
the opposite was the case, as Irish people have a long history of migration to
countries all around the globe as economic migrants, missionaries and for trade.
Emigration from Ireland tended to be particularly high at times of economic crisis, for
example during the famine in 1840 when people sought refuge from hunger and
persecution and the period of high unemployment in the 1980’s.
There are a number of inter-related reasons for the recent increase in people seeking
refuge in Ireland:
the harmonising of restrictive practices which makes it increasingly difficult to
apply for refugee status in other European countries, resulting in refugees
seeking asylum in Ireland.
the principal countries of origin for asylum seekers to Ireland in 1997 were
Romania, Congo (the former Zaire), Nigeria, Algeria, Somalia, Angola and
Russia. All of these countries have experienced severe political, social and
economic upheavals or conflicts in recent years.
all countries in Europe, including Ireland, are more accessible due to global
technological advances in air travel, internet and satellite communications.
These developments were fostered by Western countries to create new global
markets.
Reason for Leaving
Persecution by Government
Fear of joining / leaving army
Fear for self / family – groups unknown
Civil war / conflict
Persecution on religious grounds
Persecution by tribe / village/ tribal culture
Persecution by Police / army
Other – worsening economic situation / corruption
Total
Percent
34%
4%
9%
19%
13%
6%
9%
6%
100%
Table 3: Asylum Seekers Reason’s for Leaving their Home Country. Source:
Faughnan and Woods (2000).
Faughnan and Woods (2000, p.35) researched the reasons why asylum seekers left
their own country and came to Ireland. More Eastern Europeans gave persecution
or fear of persecution by the state or the army and the state as their reason for
leaving. More Africans and ‘others’ claimed civil conflict as a reason for leaving.
More people from the ex-USSR cited persecution by non-state groups.
Almost two thirds of respondents described Ireland as a destination of chance and
not of choice. Typically, they sought help from an agent who set up the destination
and supplied papers and some were unaware of their exact destination.
11
The reasons for women seeking asylum and their experience in the countries to
which they have fled can be different to those of men in some ways. Many women
are singled out for persecution because they are political activists, community
organisers or through the persistence of demanding that their rights or the rights of
their relatives are respected. Others are targeted because they are vulnerable, for
example women who can easily be sexually abused or mothers who are seeking to
protect their children. Women can be subject to human rights abuses simply
because they are related to other men or women who are targeted by State or nonState protagonists. In many countries gender identity is central to the national
identity and women who refuse (or are unable) to conform to social mores and norms
regarding their behaviour are viewed as a threat to the structure of the regime itself
and persecuted on that basis (NCCRI website).
Refugees and Asylum Seeker Policy
According to MacEinri (2001) Ireland has ‘been faced with the difficulties of
constructing immigration and integration policies against a background of a
rapidly changing picture, limited experience, a less than positive attitude towards
difference and a largely monocultural tradition. Apart from the rather ad-hoc
arrangements made until the recent past for asylum-seekers and refugees, and
the more formal arrangements now in place ….. it would be fair to say that there
was little that could be described as an ‘official planning process’ on immigration.’
The Refugee Act, 1996
The Refugee Act, 1996, as amended by the Immigration Act, 1999 and the Illegal
Immigrants (Trafficking) Act, 2000 came into effect in full, on 20th November, 2000. It
gives statutory effect to the 1951 Geneva Convention and the 1967 New York
Protocol relating to the status of refugees.
The 1996 Act (as amended) essentially provides for a new statutory system for
independent processing of applications for refugee status in the State including the
establishment of two new statutory offices: the Refugee Applications Commissioner;
and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal.
A person seeking refugee status applies to the Refugee Applications Commissioner
in Mount St., Dublin who makes a recommendation to the Minister for Justice,
Equality and Law Reform regarding the application. If the application is rejected, an
appeal can be made to the Refugee Appeals Tribunal
The Act provides for the fingerprinting of all asylum applicants above the age of 14
years.
Refugee Legal Service
In February 1999 the Refugee Legal Service (RLS) was established to provide free
legal aid to asylum applicants at all stages of the refugee determination process. To
facilitate dispersed asylum seekers a number of regional RLS offices have been
opened.
The RLS also has a Private Practitioners Service (PPS) in operation for the provision
of legal advice to asylum seekers (at appeal stage). The scheme has been extended
to include a panel of barristers who will represent asylum seekers before the appeals
authority.
12
Reception and Integration Agency
The Reception and Integration Agency was formed in 2000, with the following
functions: planning and co-ordinating the provision of services to asylum seekers and
refugees;
co-ordinating and implementing integration policy for all refugees and persons
who, though not refugees, are granted leave to remain;
responding to crisis situations which result in relatively large numbers of refugees
arriving in Ireland within a short period of time.
The Reception and Integration Agency currently has 4 main Reception Centres in
Dublin where asylum seekers are accommodated for up to two weeks prior to their
dispersal to provincial centres and over 75 accommodation centres throughout the
State. The largest centres are in Mosney, Co. Meath and Athlone, Co. Westmeath.
Anti-Racism and Equality Bodies
The National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism was
established in 1998. It is a partnership of non-governmental organisations, state
agencies, social partners and Government Departments. It provides a structure to
develop integrated programmes and actions against racism and provide advice to a
range of governmental bodies on matters related to racism and interculturalism.
The Employment Equality Act (1998) and the Equal Status Act (2000) outlaw
discrimination in employment, vocational training, advertising, collective agreements,
the provision of goods and services and other opportunities to which the public
generally have access. Discrimination is outlawed on 9 grounds – gender, marital
status, family status, age, disability, race, sexual orientation, religious belief and
membership of the Travelling Community.
The Equality Authority was established under the 1998 Employment Equality Act to
work towards the elimination of discrimination as described above, promote equality
of opportunity, to provide information to the public and to monitor and review the
operations of the equality legislation.
Rights and Entitlements of Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Up to April 2000, asylum seekers were entitled to claim normal social welfare
payments and rent allowances while their applications were being processed.
Direct Provision and dispersal were introduced in April 2000 to bring Irish supports in
line with UK arrangements.
Under the new system, asylum seekers are dispersed to one of the regional direct
provision centres around the country, housed with other asylum seekers, provided
with 3 meals a day and given an allowance of €19 per week or €9.52 per child.
People are not allowed to seek alternative accommodation while their application is
being processed. There is no systematic plan to move asylum seekers on after a
specified time although a number do get permission to move into private rented
accommodation because of illness or family circumstances.
13
Right to work:
People granted refugee status or humanitarian leave to remain have the right to
work. Asylum seekers do not have the right to work, with some exceptions:
• asylum seekers who had been in Ireland for more than 12 months by July 1999
• the parents of Irish born children have the right to work to support their children
• asylum seekers who marry an Irish citizen
Asylum seekers are allowed to work on a voluntary basis.
There is no way for unsuccessful asylum applicants to transfer to the work permits or
work visa schemes – they must first withdraw their application and leave the country.
Right to work
Asylum seeker pre-July 1999
Asylum seeker post-July 1999
Asylum seeker married to Irish person or
parent of Irish born child
Program Refugee
Convention Refugee
Humanitarian Leave to Remain
yes
No
yes
Right to
education
No stated right
No stated right
No stated right
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No stated right
Right to education:
Similar rules apply in relation to education and training as apply to employment.
Asylum seekers in general who don’t have the right to work have no access to
mainstream education and training and are not entitled to register with FAS.
The White Paper on Adult Education (2000) proposes the following policy:
For asylum seekers with the right to work (all pre-July 1999 asylum seekers who are
at least one year in Ireland)
Free access to adult literacy and English language supports
Free access to active labour market programmes such as VTOS or PLC, if over
21 and 6 months registered as unemployed, the same basis as other participants
(Note: Non-EU Nationals are not entitled to a maintenance grant for PLC
courses)
Access to free part-time Back to Education Initiative Programmes up to and
including PLC, for social welfare recipients
Access to third level education will apply only on payment of the economic fee
and there will be no entitlement to maintenance grants.
For asylum seekers who do not have an entitlement to work, the White paper
proposes that they have:
Free access to adult literacy, English language and mother culture supports’.
Evidence suggests that these rules have been interpreted differently by different
VEC’s and there is a lack of clarity regarding entitlements.
Children of asylum seekers have the right to primary and post-primary education.
14
Health:
Ireland provides access to health services for asylum seekers on the same basis as
for the indigenous population. Asylum seekers are advised of the health services
available to them through the information pack which is provided during their initial
stay at a Reception Centre in Dublin. This pack also advises that further information
about health services may be obtained from the local health boards where they are
resettled. They are also offered health screening on a voluntary basis.
Where asylum seekers require special medical, psychological or psychiatric services,
including services for people who have suffered torture or trauma, these are provided
by the health services. There is a dedicated team of psychologists based in Dublin
which provides services for asylum seekers and refugees. The service is made
available on request and a minimum of four sessions are provided to each patient
before he/she is resettled in one of the regional accommodation centres. Where it is
evident that a greater level of psychological input is required the psychologist may
recommend that the person remains in Dublin or close to another centre for
continuing treatment.
Social Exclusion of Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Refugees and asylum seekers experience social exclusion in many spheres,
including employment, education, accommodation and through the racism they
experience in Irish society. In addition to these issues, some groups such as
unaccompanied minors, women, children and members of the Roma community
experience particular types of difficulties. This section profiles some of the issues
that act to exclude refugees and asylum seekers from Irish society. It is important to
note that some aspects relate more to asylum seekers than refugees, i.e. direct
provision, not being able to work. However, the two groups are considered together
as many refugees will have experienced these issues prior to receiving status and
hence they impact on their ability to integrate into Irish society.
Accommodation
Direct Provision
Research studies have concluded that direct provision accommodation for asylum
seekers should not be a long-term solution for the following reasons:
• It is segregated, with few opportunities for integration and lesser welfare rights
than citizens
• It carries the risk of institutionalisation, with people finding it difficult to return to a
normal life afterwards
• It creates inequalities between different groups of asylum seekers, with those
who arrived before April 2000 having more rights (Faughnan and Woods, 2000).
Research in Tralee (Collins, 2001) found that 85% of asylum seekers in direct
provision were unhappy with the conditions in their accommodation centres. Some
of the main reasons cited in this and other reports are:
• Lack of space and overcrowding
• Sharing rooms with up to six others who they had never met before
• No privacy or place to store possessions
• Noise and other habits of people – smoking, drinking, playing music
• Poor hygiene
• Cold
• Families accommodated in the one room
15
•
•
Some unable to cook their own food.
Early closing hours
Refugees and asylum seekers outside the direct provision system experience
considerable difficulty in securing private rented accommodation. The main
obstacles experienced are saving for a deposit on an apartment or house, high rents
and racism from landlords. Refugee support groups have played an important role in
helping people to secure accommodation.
The issue of accommodation, therefore, is complex and difficult. Direct provision is
not favoured by refugee support groups as a long-term solution. Yet, the difficulties
experienced by refugees and asylum seekers in securing private accommodation
highlights that there is a need for some type of state support with accommodation.
Employment
There are two core issues in relation to employment:
A.
The fact that asylum seekers are not permitted to work
B.
The barriers / difficulties experienced by those who have the right
to work
A.
As we have seen, most asylum seekers may not seek employment, though a
limited number who arrived before July 1999 do have the right to work.
The restrictions on asylum seekers from working has a severe impact their quality of
life. Faughnan and Woods (2000) found that respondents were very clear about their
desire to contribute to the Irish economy. The felt they needed to work, not just for
financial reasons, but also for their psychological health and self-esteem. The
African Needs Analysis (1999:2) emphasised that the majority of its respondents
were culturally unused to any type of welfare dependency and found it both strange
and demeaning. The enforced boredom and lack of mental stimulation was a major
source of frustration and depression for them at a personal level.
Research studies have indicated that many asylum seekers are highly educated and
skilled, which may reflect the fact that leaving one’s country is an option usually only
open to those with some means3.
Research in Tralee found that refugees and asylum seekers had experience and
skills in a wide variety of occupations and have the potential to make a real
contribution to the local economy if allowed to work. 10% of asylum seekers had a
degree or post-graduate qualification, while 30% have a certificate or diploma. More
than 20% had some type of trade. However, as most of their qualifications are not
recognised in Ireland, many asylum seekers are keen to gain Irish qualifications
(Collins, 2001).
B.
For those who can work, there are a number of serious barriers to
employment:
3
Many qualified people cannot practice because there is no equivalence of
degrees and qualification.
Those in professions and trades need to ‘upgrade’ their skills or familiarise
themselves with the systems and technology in Ireland.
Good English language skills are required.
Faughnan and Woods, 2000.
16
Many have had to accept low-paid employment in fields unrelated to their
professional competence. This has resulted in stress and lower self-esteem.
Even where their qualifications were awarded by an Irish college, some people
found it impossible to find a job in that field.
Many people are reluctant to take up a job and lose their benefits. A Clann
Housing Association Study (1999: iv) found that the income needed to replace
rent supplement was out of the reach of the majority of would-be workers.
Career advice, competency testing and relevant training courses are crucial for
people hoping to enter the jobs market.
Some refugees who have attempted to start their own businesses have come up
against the following problems:
Start-up capital or matching funding is required to draw down grants or loans for
business start-up. Many refugees are not in a position to access such capital.
References and previous financial history / credit rating is difficult to access.
Integration into Irish Society
‘You are indoors all day so you don’t develop yourself. You don’t do anything so you
are a non-entity. You cannot contribute to this society. How can you meet people?
The work environment makes you meet people, different people with different
behaviours. ‘Oh, that’s the way to behave’. You need that education and knowledge
before you can blend, so that you don’t look like a non-entity’.4
The following are just some of the many factors that make it difficult for refugees and
asylum seekers to integrate into Irish society.
Involuntary placement: Integration is made difficult due to the manner in which
asylum seekers are initially received into Irish society. They receive little or no
information about the communities to which they are sent, which results in stress and
fear. They are not consulted regarding whether they wished to be accommodated
with others who were from the same community of origin, with others who spoke the
same language or those with the same religion. Similarly, local communities have
not been informed or consulted with regarding the Government’s decision to move
asylum seekers into the area, nor are they prepared in terms of translation services,
schooling, social services, etc. This has very often resulted in anger and frustration
at a local level, which can be mis-directed at asylum seekers and other immigrants.
This reality has meant that the process of integration into Irish society gets off to a
bad start and it requires considerable effort to redeem the situation. Efforts to
integrate asylum seekers within host communities are almost exclusively restricted to
the voluntary sector.
Direct provision: As the quote above illustrates, living in direct provision
accommodation and not being able to work are major factors that prevent asylum
seekers from integrating into Irish society.
English language and literacy: The Interdepartmental Working Group on Integration
(DJELR 2000:28) suggested that the greatest barrier to refugees and asylum seekers
is not being able to speak English. For those who cannot communicate in the
English language, all other tasks become difficult. Children have tended to pick up
the language quickly and are often used by their parents as interpreters. However,
this can put a strain on the children as they must deal with adult issues at a young
age. Some refugees and asylum seekers also have literacy problems, which
presents an additional barrier.
4
Asylum seeker quoted in Fanning et al (2001)
17
Transient nature: The process of integration is made difficult by the fact that asylum
seekers are likely to either be returned to their home countries or move from the area
if legally entitled to remain in Ireland. On the other hand, some may remain in the
area and the earlier they are facilitated to integrate, the more happy and successful
their life in the area is likely to be. Evidence suggests that asylum seekers granted
status or ‘leave to remain’ have found it difficult to make the transition from the limbo
life they led as asylum seekers to having a ‘normal’ life.
Cultural and Religious issues: Cultural and religious differences between Irish
people and new communities can result in misunderstandings. It is useful for service
providers and the community and voluntary sector to undertake inter-cultural training
to make them aware of how people from different cultures interpret and respond to
their initiatives and how they could increase the effectiveness of their services.
Similarly, training and induction for new communities into Irish society and culture is
necessary.
For example, some refugee women are not familiar with the concept of
leaving their child with a carer, while other people have a fear of joining voluntary
groups due to bad experiences in their home countries.
Social opportunities: The majority of participants in Faughnan and Woods (2000)
study of asylum seekers, ‘Lives on Hold’ had come to Ireland alone and, more than a
fifth of the group reported no social contacts since their arrival. A number of people
expressed disappointment that stronger friendships with Irish people had not
developed. The Irish pub and club scene is difficult for those on low incomes.
Where there are local support groups who make links and foster friendships with
asylum seekers and help the community to understand where they are coming from,
it can help their integration into the local community.
The challenge of anti-racism and interculturalism
As well as economic benefits, the global economy of which Ireland is a part also brings
increased cultural and ethnic diversity. The integration of people of different cultures and
colours is a complex and often emotive process, however. Refugees and asylum seekers are
new to the country and most feel alienated and lonely, while local communities are challenged
by the changed ethnic profile in their areas. Accepting and embracing diversity is not an easy
task and requires changes in legal structures, education, attitudes and identity. It challenges
Irish society and all of us to challenge our beliefs, stereotypes and prejudices and work
towards anti-racist practice and an intercultural society.
Defining racism
The UNESCO Declaration (1978) states that ‘any theory involving a claim that racial or ethnic
groups are inherently superior or inferior, thus implying that some would be entitled to
dominate or eliminate others who would be inferior, or which places a value judgement on
racial differentiation, has no scientific foundation and it contrary to the moral and ethical
principles of humanity’.
The UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racist Discrimination (1969) states,
‘Any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference, based on race, colour, descent, national
or ethnic origin, which has the purpose of modifying or impairing the recognition, the
enjoyment or exercise on an equal footing of human rights and fundamental freedom in the
political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life constitutes racial
discrimination’.
18
According to Monshengwo (2000), these definitions show that racism is an ideology of
superiority and provides a rationale for oppression by one group over another. Racism is
more than a set of attitudes or prejudices and can occur at a number of different levels:
Individual: People from ethnic minorities can be subject to individual abuse in the form of
verbal or physical attacks, attacks on their property, etc.
Cultural racism: This is a tendency to view other cultures as inferior, thus reinforcing the
superiority of the dominant group.
Institutional racism: Minority ethnic groups may not enjoy the same outcomes from the
policies and practices of organisations and institutions throughout our society. This may be
as a result of processes that either consciously or unconsciously exclude minority groups.
A recent study on the experience of racism by ethnic minorities in Ireland by FAQ’s Research
on behalf of Amnesty International Irish Section found that
78% of the sample had experienced racism.
36.2% had frequently heard or seen people making insulting comments about their
skin colour or ethnic background.
Over 80% agreed that racism is a serious problem in Ireland today.
McVeigh and Binchy (1998) in their study ‘Travellers, Refugees and Racism in Tallaght’ found
ongoing racist hostility to Travellers and Refugees from some sections of the majority ethnic
population. They concluded that the term ‘refugee’ has become stereotyped and has become
an excuse for discrimination. Refugees, like Travellers, are seen to cause problems, not
because of what they do but because of what they are.
A wide range of actions are required to ensure that our society treats minority
groups, including refugees and asylum seekers, equally. These include anti-racist and
anti-discrimination laws, training of public service staff, promoting positive messages
through the media, intercultural education and pro-active strategies to embrace and
celebrate diversity.
Education
For parents and children in direct provision, some of the problems they experience in
relation to education are:
Difficulty in finding schools and pre-schools for their children
The fact that they may arrive during the school year and enrolment is typically in
September.
Parents find it difficult to take a role in their children’s education as they are far
away from the school, can’t afford transport, and may have language difficulties
or lack confidence.
Children cannot participate in after-school or extra-curricular activities because of
the cost.
No space to do homework in the bedroom they share with their parents
Language difficulties.
Some have literacy problems.
People without status are ineligible for third level education, PLC courses, etc. which
is likely to further enhance their exclusion from society. Many refugees and asylum
seekers are well educated and are eager for their children to receive a good
education.
While many schools have been very responsive and pro-active in meeting the needs
of refugee and asylum seeker children, many are ill-equipped to deal with the
challenges posed and provide the type of education that is suited to the age and
19
ability of the child. Many teachers and schools have received little information about
their new students.
Unaccompanied Minors
Unaccompanied minors are ‘children under 18 years of age who are outside their
country of origin and are separated from both parents, or previous legal / customary
primary care giver’ (UNHCR).
Over half the world’s refugee population are children, and the number of these
children coming to Ireland for refuge is growing. The unaccompanied minors in
Ireland range from 12 to 18 years, but most are aged 15 to 17 and represent 30
different nationalities.
When an unaccompanied minor seeks asylum, the local area Health Board under the
Child Care Act of 1991 has legal responsibility. Most unaccompanied minors are
housed in the Dublin area and they are under the care of the unaccompanied minors
team in the East Coast Area Health Board. Many children stay in hostels, sharing
rooms with people who may speak a different language.
Although unaccompanied minors are entitled to a free secondary school education,
many have problems accessing education and are unaware of their entitlements.
Language difficulties may also be a problem. Many students suffer from frustration
and lack of motivation, as they are unsure whether they will be able to continue to
third level education. Some students came to Ireland without a formal education or
an education that was disrupted by conflict. There are many needing literacy classes
but there are few classes available.
For most minors, there is very little to do outside of school hours and they have
limited finances.
‘I sometimes feel invisible because there’s no one around to notice if I’m here or not.’
15 year old Congolese boy5
Women
A submission to the National Plan for Women by the AZAC (Algeria, Zaire, Angola,
Congo) Women’s Group and Tallaght Refugee Project (2001), based on a
consultation with c.100 women identified the following crucial issues for minority
ethnic women (as well as other issues which are highlighted above)
The needs of those who are awaiting determination of their status and may be
leaving Ireland if refused, are different to those who have refugee status or
residency and may be living in Ireland in the long-term.
The lack of affordable, accessible culturally appropriate childcare, is a major
contributing factor to poverty for many women
There is widespread depression due to the stress experienced in their current
lives and the process of leaving their home country. They feel isolated and
unsupported.
Women experiencing domestic violence fear that that reporting their husband or
partners abuse may have an impact on the family’s application for asylum.
5
‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: The Experience for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Ireland’
Calypso Productions
20
They recommend that meeting the needs of women asylum seekers should involve a
two pronged approach of developing both gender specific strategies and developing
a gender dimension to mainstream actions.
Roma
Roma are an ethnic minority group whose recent origins are predominantly from
Eastern and Central Europe. A recent report by Pavee Point identified the estimated
1,700 Roma people in Ireland as probably the most excluded group in Irish society
because of a lack of education, low language skills and historic and systemic
discrimination.
Among the recommendations made in the report are; the need for pre-development
courses for Roma; a need to respond to the specific needs of Roma; targeted and
accessible information and a Roma dimension to refugee and asylum policy.
Conclusion
The social exclusion experienced by refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland makes
them an important target group for the Local Development Social Inclusion
Programme and other ADM programmes. As with all target groups, the factors that
create their exclusion are complex and multi-faceted. The following challenges are
particularly salient in working with refugees and asylum seekers in a local
development setting.
Cultural differences and language barriers
Some may just live in the area for a short time or are unsure regarding their future
status
Experiences in home countries affect how people respond to local development
initiatives.
Wide diversity of need – refugees and asylum seekers are not a homogenous
group
The majority do not have access to mainstream progression routes
The case studies that follow demonstrate how four local organisations have worked,
in the context of these difficulties, to achieve greater social inclusion of refugees and
asylum seekers.
21
2.
Developing a Local Response: Case Studies
ADM-funded Partnerships and other initiatives work in designated geographical
areas with target groups considered socially, economically and culturally
disadvantaged. This study attempts to outline some possible responses that can be
undertaken to improve the quality of life of asylum seekers and refugees at a local
level.
While many of the policies that impact on the situation of refugees and asylum
seekers, such as direct provision and the right to work, are national policy decisions,
there are actions that can be taken at local level to:
•
•
•
•
•
Identify and raise awareness of the needs of refugees and asylum seekers and
inform and educate local people and policy-makers about these needs
Engage refugees and asylum seekers in self-empowerment and community
development initiatives
Improve the range and quality of service provision
Promote the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into Irish society and
challenge negative stereotypes
Develop strategies to influence changes in asylum policy and in the way services
are delivered to refugees and asylum seekers
These case studies profile the work of four locally based organisations that have
taken action to promote the inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers into Irish
society. Some are Partnership’s, while others are local voluntary or community
development groups or projects. Some initiatives were developed in response to
direct provision, while others preceded it. The blend was chosen to highlight good
practice taking place, much of which can be replicated in any type of local initiative.
In Section 3, some of the learning from the case studies is synthesised while Section
4 provides a checklist of possible strategies and actions that Partnerships /
Community Groups and other initiatives can adopt at local level.
The following table gives a brief snapshot of the four case studies, highlighting the
type of organisation, the date the initiative started, the target group, a profile of the
context in which it works and a list of key actions that are described in the case
study.
22
Case Study
Organisation
Type
Tallaght Refugee
Project
Local voluntary
organisation,
attached to West
Tallaght Resource
Centre, a DSCFA
funded
Community
Development
Project
Partnership
Company
Southside
Partnership
Date
initiative
started
1997
Target
group
Situation
Asylum
seekers
and
refugees
Refugees have been living in Tallaght
for many years
Mostly private rented
accommodation- dispersed through
area
Local voluntary
organisation
Galway Partnership
Partnership
Company
•
•
•
•
•
Research
Raising community awareness
Education & training
Anti-racism
Cultural support
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Network of service providers
Needs analysis
Education task group
Befriending project
Language and literacy
Influencing local policy
Public education campaign
•
•
•
•
Initial support for new arrivals
Social integration
Anti-racism and education
Monitoring accommodation
standards
3 year plan
Community development
Approx. 888 people in total
2000
Asylum
seekers
and
refugees
Approx 500 refugees and asylum
seekers in the area
Over half in hostels, the remainder in
private rented accommodation.
High proportion of unaccompanied
minors
Galway Refugee
Support Group
Key
Actions
1988
Asylum
seekers
and
refugees
Approx. 700 refugees and asylum
seekers in the area
Majority in hostels and other
accommodation centres
•
•
Partnership Tra Li
Partnership
Company
2000
Refugees
and
asylum
seekers
3 main hostels / accommodation
centres
Dispersed to Tralee, mostly direct
provision
•
•
•
•
•
•
Awareness raising conference
Research study
TRASNET – Network of service
providers and asylum seekers
Counselling
Drop-in centre
Social integration
23
Case Study 1
Tallaght Refugee Project
Background
The Tallaght Refugee Working Group (now called Tallaght Intercultural Action (TIA))
was established in 1997 by Tallaght Partnership in response to the needs of a
growing number of refugees and asylum seekers finding accommodation in Tallaght.
The Working Group initially focused on establishing the needs of refugees and
building up membership among its target group. At the same time, funding was
received by West Tallaght Resource Centre under the EU Year Against Racism
(EYAR)6 to employ a researcher and community worker to engage in research into
racism in Tallaght. The two initiatives became closely linked and complemented
each other well, in that the building up of relationships occurred alongside
researching empirical data. It gave the Working Group a resource base that made it
better able to organise effectively.
The Project is based at West Tallaght Resource Centre, a Community Development
Project (CDP) established in 1986. When the EYAR funding ended, interim funding
was secured from Tallaght Partnership and Crosscare to continue the community
development work. West Tallaght Resource Centre then secured enhanced funding
from the DSCFA for a two-year period from June 1999 to continue the project.
Refugees in Tallaght
Research carried out by Ward (2001) indicates that:
There are a total of 888 refugees / asylum seekers in Tallaght, broken down into
325 recipients of Supplementary Welfare Allowance or unemployment
assistance, 172 adult dependents and 391 child dependents.
• The majority of the group (426 adults, 320 children) have been in private rented
accommodation for the past 2-3 years, while 142 individuals are living in
emergency accommodation.
• All refugees and a small number of asylum seekers, who were here before July
1999 have the right to work. Others may work because they have a residency
permit as parents of Irish-born children.
• The new communities display a high motivation towards education and are
eager to progress in education and employment.
• Racist abuse is an everyday experience for identifiable minorities. Some homes
have been stoned, children and their parents are subject to verbal and
sometimes physical assaults.
•
Aims, Objectives and Principles
The aim of the group is to ‘bring about equality of treatment and condition of
refugees and asylum seekers in Tallaght, using community development principles’.
Its objectives are:
•
•
6
Raising community awareness of refugee issues
Resourcing participation by refugees in local development actions and training
From the Irish Committee administering EYAR and the Combat Poverty Agency
24
•
•
Promoting anti-racist and inter-cultural principles in local community services and
actions
Contributing to national policy on refugee related matters
TIA is committed to addressing all aspects of social exclusion experienced by new
communities in Tallaght and ensuring that community development actions take
account of the new forms that social exclusion may take. Its ethos is that refugees
and asylum seekers are involved in the strategic planning of actions. Where eligible,
they are paid for the work they do.
The group is composed of representatives of local community development projects
and groups, Tallaght Partnership, Tallaght Youth Services and Home-School Liaison
services. There are three members of new communities. Sub-groups are formed to
plan and implement specific pieces of work.
Actions to Date:
Some of the actions undertaken by TIA include the following:
1.
Raising Community Awareness
In February 1999, a seminar ‘Celebrating Diversity’ was held for community groups in
Tallaght. It was sponsored by four CDP’s in the area and was funded by the Combat
Poverty Agency. The format included a small group discussion of three cultural
issues; child rearing practices, how different cultures show respect and community
involvement in different cultures. Lunch was prepared by six African women and was
followed by a drumming workshop. The event was publicised widely among all local
communities, including refugees and asylum seekers.
A conference on ‘Racism in the Community’ was held early in 2002. A major
problem in Tallaght is that the local community feel very disadvantaged and excluded
that a lot of mis-information is circulating regarding the benefits that refugees and
asylum seekers get. Getting the correct information out is an important first step in
tacking this and the conference was used a means of doing this.
2.
Resourcing Refugee Participation in Training
In 1999, the TIA responded to a demand among refugee / asylum seeker women for
English classes with childcare provided7. At the end of the course, the African
women formed a group called AZAC (Algeria, Zaire, Angola, Congo), which affiliated
to the ‘Women Together Tallaght’ network.
The TIA made links with local schools, especially those with a parent’s room, and
encouraged them to put on courses and events for non-national parents. TIA got
funding for courses and contracted a refugee woman as a tutor. Parents have really
enjoyed the courses, saying it makes them feel human to get out of the hostels and
have something to do. The Project feels that linking with schools is a good model for
integrating people, as it draws them into the school and makes them feel some
ownership over their children’s education.
A personal development / IT course8 for African women refugees was run over a
two month period in 2001 for two mornings per week. The two elements of the
7
Based in West Tallaght Resource Centre, funded by South Dublin County Council, with childcare
provided by the Tallaght Centre for the Unemployed.
8
Funded by the Department of Social Community and Family Affairs
25
course – personal development and IT were linked, whereby the women designed
and produced a health promotion poster with text in French and Lingala to be
displayed in the health and other centres locally. The ERHA covered the costs of
childcare and paid for the printing of the poster. The course was very successful, but
the tutors felt that the short time-span limited what it could achieve. They felt that the
model of personal development / leadership training through the medium of English
as a second language is a useful innovation with great potential. They therefore
made a successful application to the DSCFA for a follow-up course for the same
group of participants, over a 16-week period.
3.
Promoting Anti-Racist and Inter-cultural Principles
In 2000, the TIA ran a series of cultural awareness workshops for service
providers. Small group discussions were held regarding cultural issues that may
have an impact on how minority groups experience services. Nigerian, Congolese
and former Yugoslav communities participated. Learning from the workshops has
been incorporated into detailed submissions to the relevant Government
Departments on culturally sensitive work with these communities. This model of
training has been adopted by other groups working with new communities in Dublin.
A difficulty that has emerged for refugee families who have been here for a number
of years, is that their children become fluent in English and their parents feel that they
are turning their back on their own culture. They fear that if they ever do go back to
their home country, that the children will be ostracised and won’t be able to reintegrate. Another cultural issue that the TIA is aware of is the fact that when some
refugees get status and bring their parents over to join them, the parents can be very
isolated and just stay in the home. In response to these issues, the TIA secured
funding from the European Refugee Fund for a Cultural Support and Maintenance
Project Worker. The worker’s role is to create a dynamic for accommodating and
celebrating cultural differences, both within new communities and between them and
Irish communities. The experience of the worker to date is that there are still so
many basic needs, such as English classes that have not been met, that it has been
difficult to get to grips with cultural issues. Having the worker on board has brought
the project into contact with a large new group of people, particularly people living in
hostels. This has placed further demands on the project in terms of mediating their
needs with agencies, etc.
When a family suffers a racist attack on their home or themselves, they are often
unsure of the names of people involved and if their neighbours support the attackers,
etc. The Project links with the Community Gardai and South Dublin County Council
in relation to the anti-social and racist behaviour of residents in Tallaght. They are
encouraging the Gardai to set up a ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ programme on racism
so that local people have a means of reporting racist incidents, thereby
demonstrating their solidarity with the victims and making it more likely that the
perpetrators will be identified.
4.
Contributing to National Policy on Refugee-related Issues
Families who have residency because they have an Irish-born child have the right to
remain in Ireland until the child is 18, but are still considered to be asylum seekers.
Currently, siblings of Irish-born children completing secondary education are
allowed to pursue further education only on payment of the economic fee (an
average PLC course would cost €3,650), which is well beyond the means of their
parents. Recognising that if not addressed, this issue has potential to lead to serious
inequalities in the school-going population in Tallaght, TIA called a meeting of
teachers, education co-ordinators, the VEC and a representative from the Reception
26
and Integration Agency. A series of case studies were compiled and incorporated
into a submission to the Department of Education and Science and the Department
of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
The Project also worked with the Angolan / Congolese Women’s Group to make a
submission to the National Plan for Women 2001-2005. The submission asked
that the needs of refugee and asylum seeker women be addressed under all 12
headings of the Plan, as opposed to just the ‘human rights’ section. The submission
outlined issues facing refugee and asylum seeker women and indicators of progress
in five key areas of concern – poverty, health, education / training, violence against
women and the media.
Linkages
TIA is well integrated into the community sector in Tallaght and a number of
supportive alliances have been formed, particularly with Traveller groups. Good
working relationships have been established with statutory and voluntary
organisations, e.g. Health Board, Tallaght Youth Services, Tallaght Centre for the
Unemployed, Women Together Tallaght and Tallaght Lone Parents Centre. The
group is also a member of the South Dublin Community Platform and holds a
community director post on Tallaght Partnership, representing refugees and asylum
seekers.
Issues and Challenges
A challenge for the project has been responding to so many diverse social, economic
and cultural needs. The issues are so great that the Project could easily employ a
number of full-time workers to work on areas such as employment, enterprise and
education, as the following issues highlight:
Employment and Self-Employment: TIA have found that there is a serious poverty
trap that prevents refugees / asylum seekers with the right to work from taking up
employment. The cycle of poverty begins with the fact that previous qualifications
and work experience are not recognised by Irish employers, which means only lowstatus and low-paid work is on offer. These jobs do not pay enough to compensate
for the loss of secondary benefits like rent allowance and medical card. (For
example, a rented house in Tallaght costs approximately €1000 per month, so people
would need to earn at least €25,000 per annum to cover their basic needs).
Added to these financial constraints, job seekers face the problem of racism from
employers and co-workers. Refugees and asylum-seekers who leave a post
because of racism are often unwilling to take a case because of the attention it would
draw to them and their family. They are then faced with the additional problem of
explaining to the DSCFA of why they left their job and are signing on again.
The assistance of the FAS Asylum Seekers Unit was very valuable to the pool of
asylum seekers granted the right to work in 1999. It worked out an equivalence
system for qualifications, provided intensive English language training, CV support
and liaison with employers. Most of the participants of the programme got jobs,
albeit at a lower level that their qualifications and experience would merit. The unit is
now closing and the responsibility of job seeking for refugees and asylum seekers
will be with the local LES or FAS office. The TIA feels it is essential that the model of
one-to-one assistance available through the unit be continued. It is preferable that,
rather than re-train people in new skills for the labour market, that the full potential of
their existing skills and experience is realised.
27
Refugees and asylum seekers also experience extreme difficulties in setting up
enterprises as the regulations are designed with Irish people in mind. Accessing
credit, opening bank accounts, drawing down grants, finding referees, etc. can be
difficult for refugees as they don’t have a track record in this country and would find it
difficult or impossible to access such information from their home country.
Impact of the Social Welfare System: For many refugee and asylum seeker
families, the husband’s traditional role as head of the family is undermined by the fact
that he is not legally entitled to work. Families are beginning to break up, with some
women opting to claim social welfare payments independently rather than remain
under the control of their husbands. Social workers are struggling to cope with the
magnitude of this problem. There is an acute need for more social workers and
family support services.
Childcare: The childcare needs of refugees and asylum seekers is another area
that requires attention. The Project has applied for funding to develop an intercultural childcare module for local childcare providers.
Work with schools: The Project has been giving talks to teachers in the schools, as
there is a dearth of state-sponsored information on refugees and asylum seekers and
why they are here. If resources permitted, they would like to employ an education
support worker to help schools, who are finding it very difficult to cope with the
challenges posed.
Unmet needs: People come to the workers of the project for assistance with
individual problems, relating to immigration, services, etc. Their faces are known on
the streets and people approach them. They don’t have room for a drop-in centre.
While they have worked with a lot of people to date, the workers fear that there are
people with worse problems who have not been able to come into the Centre.
Elements of Good practice
Fusion of research and community development at the outset of the
project – built relationships and highlighted needs simultaneously.
Providing classes for parents within the school setting – helps the
children’s education and integrates the parents into the community in
which they live.
Promotion of culturally appropriate childcare
Highlighting issues of national policy importance, i.e. the right to third level
education for siblings of Irish-born children, and seeking to influence the
relevant Government Departments.
Developing indicators for progress regarding the inclusion of refugee and
asylum seeker women
Close working relationship with the Community Development Projects in
the locality, ensuring that actions are grounded in local communities.
Anti-racist and inter-cultural work, among local communities and service
providers.
Modelling of innovative training modules, i.e. personal development, IT
and English language and focusing on a practical health promotion task.
Adoption of a partnership methodology – i.e. strong linkages with all
service providers, including the Gardaí to develop realistic responses.
28
Case Study 2
Southside Partnership
Background
Southside Partnership is the local development company for the Dun Laoghaire
Rathdown County Council and Whitechurch areas of Dublin. The Partnership area
does not form a single geographical unit, but consists of 22 isolated pockets and
estates that are interspersed among some of the most affluent areas in Ireland. The
combined population of the target areas is approximately 45,000.
As part of its research and consultation process towards the development of its 20002006 strategic plan, Southside Partnership sought information on the situation in
relation to refugees and asylum seekers in the region. The research highlighted that
at the end of May 2000, there were 500 refugees and asylum seekers living in the
Southside Partnership area. Of these, 280 were living in emergency
accommodation and the remainder in private rented accommodation.
In deciding on an appropriate strategy to promote the inclusion of refugees and
asylum seekers, Southside Partnership felt that the development of a network of
service providers was the most appropriate course of action because:
• Consultation with refugees and asylum seekers identified that their main
concerns were with basic needs that were not being met satisfactorily,
such as accommodation, living conditions, work, education and childcare.
• Consultation with state and voluntary agencies highlighted that they
were, on the whole,
o Not well informed regarding the numbers of refugees and asylum
seekers in the area, where they were based and what their needs
were.
o Not aware of groups on the ground working with refugees and
what they were doing.
o Unsure regarding the most effective way for them to work with
refugees and asylum seekers.
• The South Dublin Refugee Project was set up to support refugees and
asylum seekers but the needs it was responding to were overwhelming.
It was obvious that a multi-agency response was required to support their
work.
• The Partnerships experience of its work with Travellers and its
discussions with refugee support groups in other areas pointed to the fact
that encouraging people to engage in collective action and development
activity was difficult if their basic needs in relation to work,
accommodation and education were not being met adequately.
• It was recognised also, that the target population was a transient one and
that people were likely to move from the area. The national policy
context was changing, with direct provision and dispersal introduced in
April 2000, which would impact upon attempts to form cohesive groups at
local level.
The Partnership decided, therefore, to establish a network to facilitate information
sharing and collaboration between agencies and groups with a remit for the provision
of services to refugees and asylum seekers. Such an action was in line with its
objectives in relation to increasing the effectiveness of mainstream programmes and
policies to meet the needs of target groups.
29
A network of service providers was established in 2000 and it met a number of times.
In 2001, a successful application for one-year funding was made to the European
Refugee Fund and a Project Worker commenced work on the project, which was
given the name ‘Unite’ in September 2001. The worker is part of the Building
Communities Programme of the Partnership and the initiative is managed by
Southside Partnership.
Actions to date:
1.
Network of Service Providers
A network of service providers co-ordinates and informs the work of the overall Unite
project. This network includes 22 service providers in the area, who have come
together to respond appropriately to the needs of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in
the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown area. This network meets every two months. The
aims of the Network are:
To share information between each service provider on services they deliver
to Asylum Seekers and Refugees
To work in an integrated manner on tasks that respond to the needs of the
Asylum seekers and Refugees
To inform their own organisations on best practice of social inclusion in both
work practice and policy
2.
Needs Analysis
Research has been undertaken to find out baseline data of numbers, nationalities,
ages, gender of the Asylum Seeker and Refugee population in the area and to
establish the needs and assets of this population in order to inform the work of the
network. This research is also recording the current capacity of agencies to deal with
Asylum Seekers and Refugees in the area. This will ensure that services respond to
actual rather than perceived needs and will provide a basis for the development of a
co-ordinated response.
A small task group of agencies was formed to guide this work and a researcher was
contracted. When the task group developed a draft questionnaire, it piloted the
questionnaire with a group of asylum seekers in the Youthreach Project and groups
in two local hostels. The questionnaire was then adapted based on their
suggestions. French, Romanian and Arabic speakers assisted with interpreting.
3.
Unaccompanied Minor and Asylum Seeker Children Education and
Youth work task group
There are approximately 140 Unaccompanied Minors in the Southside Partnership
area and 50 of these are not in any type of formal education. Moreover, the Irish
educational system is not geared to meet the needs of refugees and asylum seekers.
Many arrive throughout the year, whereas the school year starts in September so it is
disruptive for them to start mid-term. Also, mainstream education is often not best
suited to their needs as some require English language training and / or have literacy
problems.
A task group, composed of representatives of the VECs, Youthreach, Dun Laoghaire
Refugee Project and the East Coast Area Health Board Unaccompanied Minors
Team has been established to improve educational provision for asylum seekers. A
number of the agencies are employing staff to work with unaccompanied minors, so it
is essential that the work is properly focused and co-ordinated. Two key actions
have been co-ordinated by this task-group:
The group has met with principals of local schools that currently have asylum
seekers and refugee students and worked with them to encourage other schools
to consider taking in asylum seeker and refugee children.
30
A pilot project has been initiated, run by Choices in Shankill, that will take six
recently arrived asylum seekers and provide them with some basic training. The
participants will identify what they would like to study and Choices will respond.
The project is overseen by an advisory group, who will assess the outcomes of
the project and look to the development of longer-term initiatives and accessing
funding for them.
4.
Support for the Dun Laoghaire Refugee Project (DRP)
The Dun Laoghaire Refugee Project is a voluntary organisation working on the
ground with refugees and asylum seekers. It does not have funding and is
completely reliant on volunteers. The DRP is an advocate for the needs of refugees
and asylum seekers and has access to the hostels to meet them on a weekly basis.
Southside Partnership has supported the Dun Laoghaire Refugee Project in the
following ways:
Funded the DRP’s literacy classes, catering for 8-10 unaccompanied minors.
This was an emergency measure as the need was considered to be very great
but funding was not available from any other agency as the participants are under
18.
Provided the project with a grant of €1270, as part of their small grants scheme
for voluntary organisations.
Southside Partnership has also made the DRP aware that its community workers are
available to offer any developmental support that the group may require.
5.
Befriending Project
This project is designed to find families to befriend and give guidance to
unaccompanied minor children in the area. Families will be asked to visit these
minors regularly and give them support as they settle into their new homes in the
locality. The idea for this unique project came from the East Coast Area Health
Board Unaccompanied Minors Team, who approached Unite to become involved as
the local partners in the project.
6.
Childcare and Family Support Service
In conjunction with Barnardo’s and the East Coast Area Health Board, Southside
Partnership commissioned and provided funding for an assessment of childcare
needs in the Old School House Hostel in Dun Laoghaire and make recommendations
for service delivery.
The needs assessment was produced in July 2001 and recommended the
establishment of a childcare support service for children aged 0-8 years and their
parents. The service would support all aspects of the child’s development and
enable them to reach their potential. It would also support parents to care for and
nurture their child’s development.
The recommendations of the report were taken on board by the East Coast Area
Health Board and Barnardo’s, who subsequently opened a childcare service in the
Old School House Hostel. The Unite Project Worker is on the advisory group of the
project and Barnardo’s is a member of the Unite network.
7.
Initial Language and Literacy Provision
Unite is a partner in the ‘Initial Language and Literacy Provision Project’ for adult
refugees and asylum seekers in the Dun Laoghaire and Killiney areas, with the Dun
Laoghaire VEC, Dun Laoghaire Refugee Project and the VEC Adult Learning Centre.
The Project provides funding and curriculum development support to literacy and
language tutors working with refugees and asylum seekers. It is funded by the VEC,
with part funding for tutors from the Unite Project.
31
8.
Influencing local policy
Southside Partnership Community Development staff has been asked to equality
proof the County Development Board 10 year strategy. They also made a
submission to the CDB on cultural diversity.
Staff wrote a submission to the Shankill / Loughlinstown RAPID Programme to
highlight the fact that there are asylum seekers in Killiney, bordering the RAPID
area, that will use the services in the RAPID area. As a result, the Unite Project
has been asked to become part of the social inclusion strategy of RAPID.
9.
Inter-cultural Anti-racist Public Education Campaign
In parallel with its work on service provision, Southside Partnership sought to
promote an equality perspective locally, in particular around issues of
interculturalism, inclusion and integration of ethnic minority groups. This involved the
development of strategies to deal with racism and discrimination at the institutional
and community level. A Programme entitled ‘Communities Organising for Racial
Equality (CORE)’ was developed by a cross section of Partnership staff. The work
was to be organised through three main strands, with a blend of Community
Development, Education and Youth, Services to the Unemployed and crossprogramme staff taking responsibility for running each initiative:
Promote the interaction of different communities living in the area
Work to make institutional and service delivery more inclusive
Address issues of racism and prejudice from the perspective of inter-cultural
education.
The strategy involved up to 15 initiatives, for which funding was sought from the ‘AntiRacism Public Awareness Grant Scheme’ of the Department of Justice, Equality and
Law Reform. The Partnership received £6,000 under the fund, which was
considerably less than was required to run the programme, but nonetheless enabled
some work to be done. Some of the key activities undertaken under this initiative
were:
Inter-cultural education for school administrators and principals: An in-service
training day was held to look at the school’s capacity to embrace multiculturalism and
ensure racism does not occur.
The Local Development Training Institute, at its annual summer school, ran a series
of five workshops, entitled ‘Interculturalism, the issues for our communities’.
Inter-cultural education and training day with youth workers. Youth workers were
facilitated to develop an anti-racist programme suitable for young people in an out-ofschool setting.
Media work: As part of National Anti-Racism Week 2002, community development
staff undertook targeted the local media and secured coverage of Traveller and
refugee issues.
10.
Other actions:
• The project aims to develop an information pack for refugees and
asylum seekers arriving in Dun Laoghaire. Preliminary work has been
undertaken to find out what has been done in other areas and avoid
duplication of effort.
• A young asylum seeker approached the Partnership about
undertaking a drama project. He found a facilitator and a group of 10
asylum seekers has been formed to work on a drama of their choice.
The Unite project is supporting them by providing a premises for them
to meet and assistance with producing the drama.
32
Outcomes:
Early evaluation with service providers in the area indicates that, while there is still a
long way to go in terms of improving the quality of life for refugees and asylum
seekers in the area, the main outcomes of the project to date are:
Greater awareness among service providers of the needs of asylum
seekers and refugees
Greater awareness among service providers of what other agencies
are doing in response to the issues.
Greater co-operation between agencies regarding meeting the needs
of refugees and asylum seekers.
The development of new and targeted projects, involving co-operation
from relevant partners.
An increased range of services in place for refugees and asylum
seekers.
The inclusion of the needs of refugees and asylum seekers on the
agendas of the County Development Board and Rapid.
Elements of Good practice
Establishment of a forum through which responses to the needs of
refugees and asylum seekers can be developed on a co-ordinated basis.
A wide base of support for the project, with representation from over 22
agencies.
Worked well with the Dun Laoghaire Refugee Project and was sensitive to
complement and support their work, rather than by-pass or duplicate it.
The Partnership has both initiated projects and responded to projects
emerging from other agencies and individuals.
Undertaking research provides factual evidence that cannot be disputed.
This will be important as a basis for future action.
Unite is conscious of its role as a facilitator of service provision as has not
tried to become a service provider.
As well as facilitating external groups and agencies to develop a coordinated approach, the Unite network has been a forum through which
the Partnership itself could develop an integrated approach to working
with refugees and asylum seekers.
Development of a parallel public education campaign on interculturalism
Particular focus on the needs of unaccompanied minors
33
Case Study 3:
The Galway Refugee Support Group
Background
The Galway Refugee Support Group (GRSG), a volunteer based community group,
was established in December 1998. Its vision is to work towards:
'A just and equal society where people seeking asylum have access to a fair and
transparent procedure, appropriate services, support and resources; and where
those granted asylum can fully participate in all aspects of Irish society'.
There are approximately 700 asylum seekers living in Galway City at present and
reports indicate that a further 500 are expected. The majority have been given
accommodation in 2 large hostels and experience the many difficulties associated
with this type of arrangement - lack of privacy, lack of autonomy and lack of choices
in relation to meeting even their most basic needs.
Over the past 2 years, the work of the GRSG has expanded dramatically with new
demands and responsibilities being presented on an on-going basis. The Group
recently secured funding from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
under the European Refugee Fund to employ a Co-ordinator and from Galway City
Partnership to employ a Community Development Officer. The workers took up post
in December 2001.
Aims, Objectives and Principles
The GRSG strives to work from the principles of community development and seeks
to ensure maximum participation of asylum seekers and refugees in its work, through
the adoption of a creative and culturally appropriate approach and through the
promotion of community development principles as described below:
The Principles Underpinning the Work of GRSG:
Collective Action - Involving networking with other refugee and asylum seeker
support groups, the broader anti-racist movement and the community sector as a
whole towards building an anti-racist inclusive society.
Solidarity - Work with refugees and asylum seekers must be based on the principle
of solidarity and not charity. Refugees and asylum seekers must be given a real
opportunity to have their voices heard and to participate in a meaningful way in the
work of the GRSG.
Anti-sexism - The GRSG will work to ensure equality of access and outcomes for
refugee and asylum seeker women and men.
Anti-racism - The GRSG will challenge the racism experienced by refugees and
asylum seekers in Galway and throughout the country. The GRSG will receive
training in anti-racist practice and where possible will continue to provide anti-racist
training to groups and agencies in Galway.
Empowerment - Refugees and asylum seekers are to be empowered and
encouraged to develop the skills required to ensure their active participation in all
aspects of Irish society.
Human Rights and Equality - The GRSG will, in all of its activities, strive to ensure
that the basic human rights of refugees and asylum seekers are met in the provision
of services and the development of policies which affect them.
34
The work of the GRSG is overseen by a twelve person executive committee, which
meets on a monthly basis and has responsibility for the overall management of the
organisation. The Aims of Galway Refugee Support Group for 2001-2004 are to:
1. Work to ensure access to appropriate services by asylum seekers and
refugees.
2. Challenge and address the racism experienced by Refugees and asylum
seekers and promote equality.
3. Research and identify policy issues emerging from the work and contribute to
policy formation at local, regional, national and international levels.
4. Develop a particular focus towards addressing the needs of asylum seeking
and refugee women in Galway.
5. Ensure that Asylum Seekers and Refugees have access to relevant and
accurate information, particularly in relation to all aspects of asylum
procedures.
6. Facilitate the development of an intercultural society and the social integration
of asylum seekers and refugees.
7. Ensure the provision of appropriate child-care for children of refugees and
asylum seekers in Galway City by relevant agencies.
Actions Undertaken
The work of the GRSG is developed through a number of working groups, which
allow for maximum participation in the activities of the group. Working groups have
been established to progress work in the following areas:
Initial support for asylum seekers - This has involved the organisation of
welcome receptions for new arrivals and the development and provision of an
induction pack with information on facilities and services in the city.
Social integration - The organisation of social events and the facilitation of links
with local voluntary, statutory and other organisations.
Information on asylum procedure - Including the provision of information on
asylum procedure, assistance with interview preparation, information sharing
between new arrivals and refugees and asylum seekers who have been in the
country/city for some time.
Adult education including English classes - This involves the organisation of
English language classes at beginners and advanced levels.
Anti-racism and education - The GRSG has worked with the Galway One
World Centre and the Centre for Human Rights at NUI, Galway towards raising
awareness of the issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland. Other
work in this area has included documenting racist incidences and giving talks to
groups on issues of concern to refugees and asylum seekers.
Accommodation - Work on accommodation to date has focused on monitoring
accommodation standards and providing information and support to those
seeking suitable accommodation.
The work of the Sub-Groups of the Galway Refugee Support Group has recently
been reorganised as follows:
Deportation / asylum seeking working group
Anti-Racism Working Group
English Language Classes Working Group
Media and Communications Working Group
Future Plans
The work of the GRSG has been voluntary up to now. Now that staff have been
employed, a greater range of actions will be undertaken. These are a selection of
35
just some of the actions the group plans to undertake over the next three years to
meet its objectives:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Work with and encourage statutory and voluntary agencies to develop a code of
practice on appropriate service provision for refugees and asylum seekers.
Lobby for representation on local statutory committees, e.g. Local Adult Learning
Board, Western Health Board committees, etc.
Initiate the creation of a forum in which relevant statutory agencies and
community groups, develop appropriate strategies to meet the needs of asylum
seekers and refugees.
Set up monitoring systems to monitor standards in rented houses and
guesthouses. The monitoring systems will also look at experiences and
standards regarding health service provision, education and legal issues
Maintain and continue to up-date the discrimination log, document incidences of
individual and institutional racism and discrimination and ensure appropriate
follow-up.
Work with the Community Platform and Community Forum towards ensuring and
promoting an anti-racist/intercultural ethos in all Local Government fora.
Galway City Partnership Support for the GRSG
In developing its community development strategy for its 2000-2006 plan, Galway
City Partnership undertook an audit of community development activity in Galway
City. It decided to adopt three strands in its future strategy: Supporting groups with
start up and development plans, hiring community development workers and the
provision of incubation space for community development groups.
(1)
Development Plan
As refugees and asylum seekers were one of the target groups of the new LDSIP
Programme, the Partnership targeted the Galway Refugee Support Group with a
development grant that would enable them to put together a development plan. This
plan would enable the group to adopt a strategic approach to their work.
(2)
Funding for worker
Galway City Partnership also identified refugees and asylum seekers as a target
group for which they would fund a community development worker and so they
funded one of the GRSG posts. A condition of this funding is that the community
worker attends network meetings, thus ensuring a two-way flow of information, ideas
and actions with community development groups across the city leading to the
emergence of an integrated local development strategy. The Partnership also
employs a contract worker who works with 5 target groups, one of which is asylum
seekers. He is currently working with asylum seekers who are interested in forming a
support group.
(3)
Incubation Space
The Galway Refugee Support Group was provided with an office in the Partnership’s
facility. The benefits of this arrangement are that the GRSG’s rent is low, they have
access to facilities such as a photocopier and meeting rooms and they are in contact
with Partnership staff, which enables cross-fertilisation of ideas.
(4)
Participation
GCP also examined its own board structures and developed a strategy to ensure
minority group participation. If a worker is representing a target group on the board,
s/he is shadowed by a member of the target group. Partnership staff have also
36
undertaken training in participatory research methods which it has used and plans to
use on an ongoing basis to establish the needs of its target groups.
The Galway City Partnership envisages that, as the GRSG develops and
strengthens, it will put pressure on the Partnership to use its resources to respond
effectively to the needs it has highlighted. To date, work with refugees and asylum
seekers has been mostly undertaken by the community development team, but it is
expected that the ‘services for the unemployed’ and ‘community based youth
initiative’ measures will play a central role in working with refugees and asylum
seekers in the future.
Elements of Good practice
Development of a clear, multi-facteted strategic approach
Principles underlying the work are clearly articulated
Inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers in all aspects of the work
Focus on influencing all local social partnership bodies
Partnership resourcing of GRSG to enable it to take on an advocacy role
in relation to the Partnership and other bodies
Provision of incubation space to GRSG
Networking with other community groups ensures needs of refugees and
asylum seekers are on local development agenda
Active role in relation to accommodation, information and social
integration.
Use of participatory research methods to establish needs of target groups
Strategy to promote participation of refugees and asylum seekers in
Partnership structures
37
Case Study 4
Partnership Tra Li
Background
In late 1999 175 asylum seekers and refugees from many different countries and
cultures arrived in Tralee, with minimal opportunity for adequate preparation or
integration strategies. The lack of time for consultation with local people or induction
for the newcomers gave rise to some tension and fears were expressed by local
residents at public meetings. Meanwhile, local agencies, which were also
unprepared, began sending asylum seekers coming to them for information and/or
support to Partnership Trá Lí.
Partnership Trá Lí undertook a lead consultation role within the Tralee community,
responding to what was essentially a crisis situation for a small town. Meetings were
arranged with local statutory and voluntary agencies and with asylum seekers. At
first, issues were addressed as they arose. In the main they concerned, as might be
expected, basic service delivery. In time however, a more considered strategy began
to emerge from the consultation process initiated by the Company.
The above account shows why no conventional preparation in the form of setting
aims, objectives and strategies had been possible at the outset. Rather, the
Partnership Trá Lí priority had been to act quickly in a potentially volatile situation.
Early consultations were followed by a step-by-step approach, stopping to assess at
each stage what was the next logical move. Not for some months was there space
and time to draw back and consider the whole picture, at which point a formal interagency network was set up to oversee the work. Two years on, it is possible to see
the emergence and growth of a developmental process.
The actions undertaken by Partnership Trá Lí are described below, roughly following
the sequence in which they occurred. This information and analysis is derived from
is a Community Development Case Study undertaken by Christine Sheppard of
Partnership Trá Lí.
Actions to Date
1. Early Exploratory Meetings
Partnership Trá Lí organised a number of information exchange sessions, in order
that statutory agencies and community groups could keep abreast of changes and
develop a collective view. Participants included key representatives of Kerry
Education Service (KES), the churches, the Gardai, the Southern Health Board
(SHB), the army, community representatives, Social Welfare and Tralee UDC.
After the first two meetings, the importance was acknowledged of including asylum
seekers in the forum. The Partnership called a meeting of asylum seekers with the
idea of firstly making personal, friendly contact and then focusing on educational
needs as a starting point. Approximately 40 people came, representing a crosssection of 19 nationalities and a range of African and Eastern European languages.
The Chairperson spoke to them in French (one of the common languages).
Partnership Trá Lí’s pro-active stance kick-started a process of consultation,
planning, role delegation and implementation of initiatives in the Tralee area. In
addition, practical outcomes of this phase of work were the introduction of language,
health and Irish culture classes at an early date. The inclusive approach taken, in
particular the move to gain the participation of asylum seekers before any actions
38
were agreed, was seen as a crucial decision in terms of the validity of the whole
process.
2. Conference
In June 2000, as a result of the inter-agency discussions, Partnership Trá Lí hosted a
Conference entitled Challenges and Responses: Towards the Integration of Asylum
Seekers and Refugees. Its purpose was to provide a forum for discussion between
asylum seekers/refugees, residents, agencies and community groups in Tralee, for
all stakeholders to become better informed about the issues involved and to provide
the opportunity to develop a local strategy.
Speakers were from the National Consultative Committee on Racism and
Interculturalism, the Irish Refugee Council, the Asylum Seekers’ Unit, FÁS, Dublin
and Clonakilty ‘Friends of Asylum Seekers’. Delegates included refugees and
asylum seekers, community groups, statutory and voluntary agencies, Tralee UDC,
local residents and representatives of national refugee bodies. Workshops
comprising asylum seekers, agencies and local residents were held in the afternoon
to identify challenges and suggest appropriate responses.
The evaluation has highlighted that the Conference was a successful intervention,
particularly in terms of providing an opportunity to initiate communication between
asylum seekers and the local community. In fact the aspect most frequently
mentioned by respondents was the high profile of asylum seekers, who were enabled
to tell their stories and inform service providers of their needs.
Outcomes from the day included extensive coverage in the local press, the setting up
of a network, the commissioning of a detailed research study into needs (see below)
and the report of the Conference proceedings (Partnership Trá Lí, 2001) being widely
disseminated to local agencies and to Partnerships and Community Groups
elsewhere. The circulation of the Conference report reinforced the ideas emerging
from the day, making it more likely that they would be followed by action.
3. Formation of a Network
As a way of progressing some of the issues emerging from the Conference, a
number of local organisations, including Kerry Action for Development Education
(KADE) and Partnership Trá Lí, became involved in establishing a support network –
TRASNET (Tralee Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support Network). This initiative
brought together a wide range of bodies; statutory agencies, voluntary & community
organisations, interested individuals and refugees and asylum seekers in the Tralee
area and meetings were open. TRASNET meets twice a month and is making
progress in addressing many of the issues and concerns first raised at the June 2000
Conference.
In terms of outcome, after the initial information exchange between agencies and the
public forum provided by the Conference, the establishment of a wide-ranging,
inclusive network, meeting regularly, was seen as a major step forward. TRASNET
conducted an external review of progress and subsequently formed a Management
Committee, thus providing a structure in which to plan, operate and review the work.
The Partnership’s Community Development Unit has spent a considerable amount of
time supporting the development of TRASNET and the evaluation highlighted that
this has been the single most facilitating factor in getting a strong management team
together. Findings also highlighted the necessity of continually monitoring progress
and being prepared to adjust structures to meet the needs of all participants.
39
4 Research into Needs.
As a direct result of issues identified at the conference, Partnership Trá-Lí
commissioned KADE (Kerry Action for Development Education) to carry out detailed
research into the needs of both asylum seekers/refugees and service providers in the
Tralee area. Asylum seekers were consulted regarding the topics to be covered.
This resulted in the inclusion of questions concerning accommodation and food,
health and welfare, education and training, work, skills possession, access to
information and services, legal advice, access to interpreters, social/cultural needs,
voluntary groups and religious needs. The questionnaires were translated into the
four main languages represented in the town at that time: Czech, Romanian, Russian
and French. The strategy to involve asylum seekers in the design and content of
questionnaires meant that the research findings were relevant to their actual
situation.
In terms of outcomes, after the publication of the research report (Collins, 2001)
TRASNET oversaw the implementation of the report’s recommendations, most
notably the introduction of the Drop-In Centre - the key recommendation of the
report, which was conceived as a way of co-ordinating and facilitating many of the
other recommendations. The pressing need for counselling to be made available
was also highlighted by the research and this was recently addressed by Partnership
Trá Lí via the Kerry Counselling Centre. In addition, English language classes were
put on an ongoing footing, computer classes further developed and events organised
to promote social interaction between asylum seekers and local residents. These
outcomes were as a direct result of the research exercise and serve to underpin the
value of early, thorough, client-centred research into needs.
5 Drop-In Centre
Funding of IR£70,000 was secured from the EU Refugee Fund to establish a Drop-In
Resource Centre for Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Tralee. The funding is used
for a premises, a full-time Co-ordinator and a part-time administration assistant.
The Centre provides a place for asylum seekers and their children to socialise.
Several asylum seekers & refugees with good English have engaged in a few hours
training and are acting as volunteers, answering telephones and performing
reception duties. The Centre also provides information and advice, English
Language classes, a weekly group therapy session and a monthly clinic by the Corkbased Refugee Legal Service. There are plans to introduce a Mother and Toddler
group and to recruit a football team. The Centre recently held a well-publicised Open
Day, in an attempt to reach more asylum seekers, as well as to raise its profile within
the local community.
One asylum seeker from Nigeria cited the Drop-in Centre as the most helpful
development in Tralee in the four months since her arrival. Another specifically
mentioned having obtained information about legal advice, as well as being put in
contact with other services, such as the computer classes. They both however
commented that increasing numbers of clients was resulting in a reduction in staff
time for one-to-one advice, thus raising the need to review staffing adequacy and
associated funding implications. Funding was provided for one year only, and
renewed funding is currently being sought.
The establishment of the Centre was seen as a major impact, a landmark in the
development of initiatives to date, providing for the first time a physical focus in which
group formation can be greatly facilitated. After the setting up phase, findings
suggest that further development needs to be underpinned by training specific to
40
people’s tasks, whether for operational staff, for management committees, or for
volunteers.
6. Supported Social Events
TRASNET, supported by Partnership Trá Lí, hosted events, including a Christmas
party in St. Brendan`s Pastoral Centre, a Cultural Evening in Siamsa Tire theatre and
a float in the St. Patrick’s Day parade. There is currently a drive to recruit a football
team. A widely publicised reception was held in a local hotel for asylum seekers and
local people, which took place after the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The organisers,
KADE, reported that local people had come, including people from the local Chinese
restaurants, Nigerian doctors and Filipino nurses from the hospital, as well as
farmers and (mainly) older local residents.
Analysis showed that these events were enjoyed and were seen to be a good way of
providing a social outlet and publicising the presence of the newcomers to the town
in a positive way (reports and photographs appeared in the local papers). The point
was made however that a more sustainable impact would be achieved if such events
trigger inclusion of the target group into ongoing social activities in the community.
That is, the strategy needs to have reciprocal activity as an explicit aim and an
important role for supporting agencies is to find ways to progress this aspect of social
inclusion.
7.
Contact Strategies
While most of the contact strategies have been successful, it is felt that there has
been relatively less success with people coming from Eastern European compared
with African countries. This was attributed largely to the lack of English and literacy
problems on the part of the former. One reason for the difficulty experienced in
engaging East Europeans was reported to be that they can be fearful of getting
involved in a voluntary group. In ex-communist countries voluntary groups (where
they existed at all) would have been seen as potentially subversive. As the following
quote shows, a personal approach is required to build up trust and understanding:
“Word of mouth is the best way. Some of those from Eastern Europe aren’t
literate in any language, including their own …..a ‘Welcome’ information pack
is a good idea, but it’s not enough on its own, someone needs to go through
the pack with them and develop a relationship” (Partnership representative)
Any form of written poster or letter is not effective with members of a target group
who are not literate or who have weak language skills. Word of mouth is
undoubtedly the most effective method, but can be demanding in terms of time and
personnel. An idea put forward is to involve a literate (or bi-lingual) member of the
target group itself to circulate information by word-of-mouth may help to alleviate this
problem.
Even those with sophisticated literacy skills, however, may fail to notice the literature
targeted in their direction. Special attention, therefore, needs to be paid to the
presentation of leaflets and posters, as well as to the choice of location in which they
are displayed.
“A small point that may be useful for other areas to know is that we [TRASNET]
make a point of always doing our posters, leaflets and invitations on bright
green paper, which is eye-catching and has become identified as the
TRASNET colour. Accommodation managers have confirmed that TRASNET
literature is always picked up very quickly because it’s recognisable and
attracts attention.”
41
Support agencies need to follow up to see if a message sent has in fact been
received in order to gain knowledge about the methods that are effective with
different groups, in different situations.
Summary of the Process
The table below summarises the steps, approach, action and roles taken by
Partnership Tra Li to promote the inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers into local
society.
STEP
APPROACH
ACTION
P’SHIP/ CG
ROLE
Targeted
Consultation
Inclusive
Catalyst
Wider
Consultation
Inclusive
Participative
Setting up
Structure
Inclusive
Participative
Committed
Strategic
Identifying Needs
& Disseminating
Recommendations
Capacity-Building
Inclusive
Participative
Committed
Strategic
Focused
Developmental
Group Formation
Empowering
Initiating meetings between
agency/ community/ target
group representatives to
explore the current situation
and identify ways forward
Awareness-raising: holding
public event for target group
profile to be raised and
challenges/ opportunities to
be identified
Convening broadly
representative network and
management group with
clear objectives to drive the
process forward.
Research into target group
and local agency needs;
dissemination of
recommendations for all
stakeholders
Assist implementation of
recommendations. E.g.
sourcing education and
training, meeting spaces,
personal development and
building relationships
Support emerging group to
identify developmental
goals, lever resources and
initiate activities
Organiser
Partner
Commissioner
Broker
Facilitator
Partnership Trá Lí research findings have highlighted that a step-by-step approach is
necessary but that the steps are not sufficient unless both process and outcome are
monitored on an ongoing basis to identify, firstly, facilitating and inhibiting factors
influencing the process of empowerment and, secondly, the number and nature of
people benefiting. For example, reasons will need to be investigated if some
potential participants are found not to be availing of opportunities. Other findings of
the research are as follows:
•
Inclusiveness: findings have demonstrated the importance of an inclusive,
participative, bottom-up approach. If the target group is involved at centre-stage
with key agencies from the very outset, the work will be equitable, more
meaningful to all stakeholders, more relevant to the target group’s circumstances
and therefore is likely to be more sustainable in the longer term.
42
•
Timescale: the process of group formation is time-intensive. Time is needed
above all to build trust within and between people who may have little confidence
either in themselves or in agencies.
•
Training: it is important to make training available that will further the
development of management, staff and volunteers.
•
Advocacy: issues of national policy cannot be tackled at local level. There is
however a role for support agencies in lobbying for change in government policy.
Severely marginalised target groups progressing towards group formation will not
yet have the organisational skills or a voice strong enough to be heard.
Partnerships/ Community Groups therefore have a valuable role to fulfil as
advocates for those who have not yet progressed to the stage where they can
make their voices heard.
•
Resources: lack of secure funding can put a whole project in jeopardy, adversely
affecting both target group and staff. An important role for Partnerships/
Community Groups is to lobby for government funding, to assist applications to
alternative funding sources and to secure matching funds from local agencies. In
the meantime, a strategic use of limited resources is important: for example,
training volunteers to alleviate under-staffing of projects.
•
Public education: discrimination in one form or another can be the cause of
much personal distress. It also presents a considerable barrier to the aim of
social integration. Consequently, a major component of a
Partnership/Community Groups’ Community Development strategy should be to
support awareness-raising initiatives in the local community.
•
Monitoring and evaluation: perhaps one of the most important lessons to
emerge from the research is the need for ongoing monitoring of effectiveness at
each stage of implementation. Mechanisms need to be set up at the outset
incorporating indictors that will assist Partnerships/Community Groups to
diagnose and address causes of non-participation on the part of target group
individuals, or lack of knowledge on the part of the statutory agencies.
Elements of good practice
Quick response soon after asylum seekers arrived, contributed to
allaying fears in the community
Pro-active inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers at all stages of
the strategy
Ongoing review and evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the
strategy
Moving from targeted consultation to wider consultation through
holding a conference
Production of high quality research and follow-up on
recommendations
Development of drop-in centre a focal point for asylum seekers and
refugees to meet and engage in collective activity
Promotion of opportunities for social interaction and integration
Development of an inter-agency response
Partnership adopted various roles as circumstances demanded – i.e.
catalyst, facilitator, partner.
Investment of time and analysis in developing the process
Production of a model of group development for use by other
Partnerships/Community Groups
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3.
Conclusions: What the Case Studies tell us …
The case studies demonstrate that there is no special formula for responding to the
needs of refugees and asylum seekers. All of the organisations have developed a
different response, based on the profile of need in their particular areas and the
capacity and resources that are available to them. They have all forged their
strategies in the context of a rapidly changing, and in some cases, politically charged
situation that makes forward planning difficult. The needs they are responding to are
acute and multi-faceted, ranging from basic needs to longer-term social integration.
While the responses have been different, the case studies share a number of
characteristics regarding the strategies developed. These are:
• A move from initial consultation to wider action
• Meeting basic needs leading to further action
• Promoting an intercultural society and challenging racism
• Networking and building alliances to influence policy and practice
• Promoting community development and capacity building
• Strategic use of planning, monitoring, research and evaluation
A move from initial consultation to wider action….
In most cases, what emerged to be a broad and multi-faceted strategy, began with
an initial consultation with refugees and asylum seekers and representatives of
service providers. This simple step proved effective in gaining a snapshot of the key
issues and the perspectives of the stakeholders. This information provided the basis
from which a short to medium term strategy could be developed. In most cases, this
initial consultation was followed up, either immediately or later by research into the
needs of refugees and asylum seekers and the current or potential response of state
agencies. While the research was ongoing, the process of engaging the
stakeholders in developing a co-ordinated response was initiated. These
relationships were then well developed by the time the research was complete,
presenting a concrete set of issues which could form the plan of work for the
agencies.
For example, in the case of Tallaght, an initial consultation led to the development of
a comprehensive research project, that took place alongside a process of community
development. Thus in-depth information was gathered at the same time as
relationships were nurtured and awareness raised. In Tralee, an initial consultation
led Partnership Trá Lí to see the need for a wider conference of discuss the changes
that were happening and facilitate interaction between the refugees and asylum
seekers and other members of the community. This conference had many
outcomes, including raised awareness, identification of the need for research and the
establishment of a support group. For Southside Partnership, the initial consultation
highlighted that the needs of refugees in relation to service provision were so great
that it was felt that the priority action was the improvement of service provision, and
so a network of service providers was formed. Research was undertaken at a later
date.
This highlights, therefore, that not having enough information is not a valid excuse for
inaction. A basic consultation with a number of refugees and asylum seekers and
representatives of key agencies can provide a basis for the development of a shortterm strategy, which can then be built upon as relationships develop and information
is gathered.
44
Undertaking research is also important in that it highlights the real as opposed to the
perceived situation, and enables the diverse needs within the refugee and asylum
seeker population to be highlighted. It thus provides a clear agenda for action by the
stakeholders. The case studies have shown that research is likely to be more
successful if relationships have been nurtured, as greater participation of refugees
and asylum seekers can be encouraged in the design, implementation and
dissemination of the study.
Meeting basic needs leading to for further action….
The initial and ongoing actions of most of the organisations profiled centred upon
meeting the basic needs of refugees and asylum seekers. These included their need
for information, advice, English language classes and literacy. The ability to speak
English is fundamental to a person’s capacity to integrate into Irish society and thus
language training was a core priority. There was also an urgent need for information
on the asylum process, their rights and entitlements, location of services such as
schools and doctors in the area, Irish culture, etc. These services were organised by
in association with the VEC and / or with the assistance of local volunteers.
As well as their primary function of meeting needs, providing these services also
proved useful in terms of building up relationships with refugees and asylum seekers.
As their confidence and knowledge built up, they were more likely to become
involved in other developmental activities.
In Tralee, the medium of a drop-in information centre proved crucial in facilitating the
emergence of a developmental process. It provided a focus for providing
information about new initiatives and was a base for new groups to meet. In
Tallaght, the provision of English classes for women, with childcare provided led to
the establishment of the AZAC (Algeria, Zaire, Angola, Congo) Women’s Group,
which, among other things, affiliated to the Women Together Tallaght network and
made a submission to the National Plan for Women.
Welcoming and befriending newcomers is also a very important job. Galway
Refugee Support Group has organised welcome receptions and provided an
induction pack on facilities and services in the city. Another example is Southside
Partnership and the East Coast Area Health Board’s Befriending Project, which
seeks Irish families to befriend unaccompanied minor children.
Promoting an inter-cultural society and challenging racism ….
All of the organisations profiled had the objective of challenging racism and
promoting interculturalism locally. Actions undertaken to achieve this objective
included cultural evenings where people from new and existing communities could
meet in a social context and share elements of their culture, including food, stories
and music. Conferences such as those in Tralee and Tallaght also provided
opportunities for interaction, as well as addressing the issues of interculturalism in a
formal way.
Adapting to life as refugees or asylum seekers in Irish society has put great pressure
on many families and some find it difficult to maintain a true sense of their own
culture. Tallaght Refugee Project’s work around cultural support recognises this
tension and attempts to support new communities through the challenge.
45
As well as intercultural education for the general community, work with service
providers in increasing their awareness of cultural issues is undertaken by a number
of organisations. Southside Partnership led workshops for principals and teachers in
developing an intercultural school, and also did training with youth workers to
encourage them to be pro-active about inclusion. Tallaght Refugee Project
developed a model of training for service providers that involve refugees and asylum
seekers in highlighting issues that may have an impact on how minority groups
experience services.
Challenging racist incidents is also an important area of work. Galway Refugee
Support Group’s discrimination log is used to record and highlight racist incidents
taking place locally, while they use the media to promote positive messages
regarding new communities. They also work with the NUI, Galway Centre for Human
rights and give anti-racist talks and workshops. Tallaght Refugee Project have
initiated a neighbourhood watch initiative, that encourages local people in Tallaght to
show their solidarity with new communities by reporting racist attacks on people or
property.
Networking and building alliances to influence policy and practice ….
An important principle of the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme and
other ADM programmes is the promotion of meaningful partnership to increase cooperation, co-ordination and effective decision-making. All of the organisations
profiled in the case studies promoted networking and partnership in some form, be it
in response to a particular issue or need or on a more formal footing through the
formation of a network. Drawing in a range of relevant partners can increase the
knowledge and resources available and lead to a broader and more effective
response.
Southside Partnership’s Unite Network represents a formal approach to establishing
a partnership approach. This network of service providers met quarterly and coordinated a range of actions and projects. Early outcomes of the network included a
greater awareness among service providers of the needs of refugees and asylum
seekers and of what other agencies were doing in response. There was also a
greater range of services in place for the target group. Similarly TRASNET, a
network of agencies and refugees and asylum seekers in Tralee, has provided strong
and integrated leadership for the development of strategies designed to meet the
needs of refugees and asylum seekers in the area.
Within the framework of these broad networks, small task groups and initiatives have
been initiated to further progress on particular issues. For example, the
Unaccompanied Minors Task Force of Southside Partnership is composed of a subset of members of the Unite network and focuses on the education needs of this
group of young people. Southside Partnership and the VEC are also engaged in a
joint project to support adult learners of English and literacy by providing classes, as
well as curriculum development.
The task of establishing and supporting a network is very resource intensive. In both
cases, it has required considerable support from the Partnership’s community
development team. Progress can be disrupted if there is a lapse in resources, as
happened in the case of Southside Partnership, and it is challenging to re-build the
momentum. There is a need to monitor progress of such networks on an ongoing
basis and ensure that the structure and processes are suitable for all the participants.
The Tralee case study highlighted the value of including refugees and asylum
seekers at all stages of the strategy, which in itself requires considerable time and
46
attention to ensure that they are supported to participate to the best of their abilities.
It is also important to recognise that the networks may have a natural life-span and
could give way to smaller task forces or groupings once key relationships and
priorities have bee established.
There are also examples of networking and building alliances on a more informal
footing. For Tallaght Refugee Project, the right of access for siblings of Irish-born
children to third level education emerged as a serious issue and the TRP took the
lead in drawing together relevant agencies to make a policy submission to the
Department of Education. Galway Refugee Support Group plans to work with the
Community Platform and Community Forum to promote an anti-racist ethos in local
government fora. Southside Partnership jointly funded a childcare needs
assessment with Barnardo’s and the East Coast Area Health Board, which
subsequently led to the establishment of a childcare facility in the Old School House
Hostel in Dun Laoghaire.
Community Development and Capacity Building …
Developing community development and self-empowerment groups among refugees
and asylum seekers can be difficult due to factors such as the transient nature of
their accommodation, language and cultural barriers and, in many cases, the grave
need for basic needs to be met before they are in a position to look to collective
initiatives. Some people may be reluctant to join voluntary groups due to their
experiences in their home countries, where such groups are viewed as potentially
subversive. There are issues that affect a person’s likelihood to stay in an area. For
people in direct provision, where they are located is not their choice and it is possible
that they will move if they gain residency. People living in hostels in areas such as
Dun Laoghaire find it difficult to afford the high rents in the area, and leave the area
to seek private accommodation. Therefore the dynamics of the refugee and asylum
seeker population are different in many areas. However, while group formation may
be made more difficult for these reasons, the efforts expended in nurturing a new
group or engaging refugees or asylum seekers in collective action will not be lost as
they may bring these skills to bear in other areas, should they move on.
The organisations profiled have taken a range of approaches to the capacity building
of refugees and asylum seekers. Partnership Trá Lí has involved the target group at
all stages of its work and has supported people to participate. Through training
people to be volunteers and assist others, they are nurturing leadership skills and
confidence. They make the point that, until the refugees are in a position to form
their own strong advocacy groups, there is a need for the Partnership to take on an
advocacy role, while at the same time continuing to encourage participation and build
capacity. Through monitoring and evaluation of their work, Partnership Tra Li have
identified a number of factors that discourage Eastern Europeans from participating
and are being pro-active in responding to them.
As mentioned earlier, neutral initiatives such as English classes can provide a good
basis for group formation. Tallaght Refugee Project facilitated the development of an
African women’s group through the initial medium of English classes. Like in all
women’s development initiatives, the provision of childcare was essential to ensure
that women could participate.
The Galway Refugee Support Group is a good example of a local support group that
works from a community development approach. They seek to ensure maximum
participation of asylum seekers and refugees in their work and to adopt a creative
47
and culturally appropriate approach. Principles such as collective action, solidarity
and empowerment underpin their work.
For a Partnership or Community Group, support for a local voluntary group is a
strategic means of promoting the capacity of refugees and asylum seekers. Galway
City Partnership supported the GRSG to develop a strategic plan, provided funding
for a worker and gave them use of an office. These actions greatly boosted the work
of the GRSG and are in line with the Partnership’s community development strategy
in terms of developing a strong community infrastructure in the city. GRSG, as an
advocate for the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, can bring their needs to the
attention of the Partnership and a range of other bodies. Actions such as this
strengthen the important role that local voluntary groups have in terms of awareness
raising, capacity building and advocacy.
Galway Refugee Support Group also highlights the importance of networking with
other refugee and asylum seeker support groups, the broader anti-racist movement
and the community sector as a whole to build collective capacity.
Strategic use of planning, monitoring, research and evaluation …..
As mentioned earlier, the organisations profiled in the case studies were all working
in a rapidly changing context. Long-term strategic planning was difficult due to the
changing policy context, insecurity over resources and lack of knowledge about the
right approaches, as this is a new target group. In this environment, therefore, the
organisations have shown resourcefulness in how they plotted their strategies. In
most cases, this involved responding to needs, then assessing the progress made
and planning the next step.
Undertaking research is a useful action in a situation where there is an information
vacuum and it has been shown to be strategically very important in Tralee, Southside
and Tallaght. The research also provides a baseline against which progress can be
measured. Monitoring and evaluation of the strategy is extremely important as it
highlights, as in the case of Tralee, if certain groups are not benefiting equally from
the strategy as well as highlighting where progress has been made. A valuable
learning opportunity is also afforded to other groups through dissemination of the
findings.
48
4.
Developing Your Strategy
This section outlines practical steps that your organisation can take to plan
your strategy to promote the inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers and
provides a checklist of possible actions under the headings of community
development, services for the unemployed and community based youth
initiatives.
FIRST STEPS
All of the relevant staff and management of the organisation should be involved in the
following initial actions:
Planning the strategy across the organisation, i.e. inter-sectoral
Undertaking inter-cultural training
Developing an equality policy
1.
PLANNING YOUR STRATEGY
The organisation should approach the issue of inclusion of refugees and asylum
seekers in a strategic way, using the steps outlined below. This step-by-step
approach could also be used to proof individual actions.
1.
Assess the context
Approximately how many refugees and asylum seekers are there in the
catchment area?
What state agencies and voluntary groups are working with them?
What needs have been identified?
From small acorns….. The Partnership Tra Li Case Study highlights how their initial
consultations led to the emergence of a larger strategy. Their approach was to bring
people together and get them talking about the issues and from this ideas and
actions emerged.
2.
Clarify the purpose of the work
What is the most appropriate response for the organisation to take?
Is the response in line with the organisations objectives?
What can you learn from your other target group work, e.g. Travellers?
What are you attempting to achieve?
The organisation should endeavour to adopt a response that co-ordinates, adds
value to and increases the effectiveness of existing services and initiatives. The
LDSIP principles outlined above are useful in terms of guidance on what is
appropriate for a Partnership or Community Group.
Note: Refer to the five reasons why Southside Partnership felt that establishing a
network of service providers was the most appropriate response for it to take.
49
3. Collect Information
Collect quantitative information and consult with the target group and people
working with them – this will be your baseline data so ensure that it is recorded.
Identify the varying needs and issues within the community – e.g. gender, age,
disability, language, literacy. Don’t make assumptions regarding the needs as
they can be very diverse. A needs analysis is a good starting point if one has not
been undertaken in the area (this may form part of your identified actions).
Assess what is needed for your strategy in terms of time, money, staff and
premises
Identify what stakeholders should be on board.
Give serious consideration to organising staff and / or Board training on the issue
Examine what external or internal factors could impact on your ability to respond
effectively – e.g. the national policy context largely precludes effective action on
accommodation, where people are housed in direct provision. It is useful to
identify the issues on which you feel you can or cannot make progress through
local action.
Note: Tallaght Refugee Project developed from a joint research and community
development project. The approach worked well as information was gathered and
relationships developed simultaneously. When the research was complete,
therefore, the foundations were in place to facilitate follow-up on the
recommendations.
4. Set objectives and principles
Set objectives for the strategy
What will be the principles and ethos underpinning your strategy?
Ensure that the objectives and principles are agreeable to members of the
community, management board and other stakeholders
Check that the objectives and principles reflect the principles of the LDSIP or
relevant Programme
Check that the objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and
timed
Note: Look at the objectives and principles set by the Galway Refugee Support
Group –they planned out what they want to achieve in key areas over three years.
5. Plan actions and indicators
Plan what actions you will undertake, who will do them and by when?
What indicators will demonstrate that you have met your objectives?
How and when will you collect data to monitor your progress?
6. Start work
7. Monitor and Evaluate
Monitor your work against short-term targets and longer-term objectives
Revise the objectives and actions where necessary
Evaluate the information gathered from the review
50
Note: Refer to the Partnership Trá Lí Case Study to see how important they found
evaluation and monitoring to be.
2.
INTER-CULTURAL / ANTI-RACIST TRAINING
If the organisation is new to this area of work, it is very valuable, if not essential, for
the staff and Board members to undertake inter-cultural / anti-racist training. This
training will help to ensure that the work is undertaken in a culturally sensitive
manner. For information on training options, contact organisations such as the
NCCRI, the Equality Authority or Comhlamh listed in the Appendix.
It is also useful to visit organisations that have undertaken similar work to learn from
their experiences.
3.
EQUALITY STATEMENT AND POLICY
The organisation should have an up-to-date equality statement and policy that sets
out its commitment to the achievement of equality and how the commitment will be
realised. It should state what target groups the organisation aims to work with and
the grounds on which exclusion will be challenged. The equality policy should
identify how the organisation will work and what actions will be included. Resources
to assist you in developing an equality policy are available from the ADM or the
Equality Authority.
4.
CHECKLIST OF POSSIBLE ACTIONS
Following the steps outlined above will assist organisations to develop a strategy and
actions that are suited to their local situation. This section provides a checklist of
possible actions that could be considered in the planning phase.
Community Development Actions
Some actions, such as inter-agency work to improve service provision, are clearly in
the remit of the Partnership / Community Group and RAPID Programme. Depending
on the capacity in the area, other actions can be undertaken by local support groups,
with support from the Partnership / Community group or they may be undertaken
directly by the P/CG if necessary. This is just a sample of possible actions.
Support and nurture the development of a new or existing refugee support
group in the area (Southside, Tallaght, Galway)
Undertake a needs analysis. Refugees and asylum seekers should be
involved in the design of the methodology to ensure that the questions make
sense to them and focus on what they think is important. Interpreters should
be used where necessary. The research should clearly identify the different
needs within the target group, i.e. gender, age, family type, educational level,
disability, religion, language, Roma, etc. (Tralee, Southside)
Encourage an inter-agency response to meet the needs identified, such as a
network of service providers and community organisations (Southside,
51
Tallaght). Agencies should be asked to commit to delivering on the needs
identified.
Raise public awareness of the issues through a conference (Tralee)
Develop a welcome pack and information sessions for newly-arrived asylum
seekers (Galway)
Develop a neutral space such as a drop-in centre that refugees and asylum
seekers can meet, have a break and do joint activities. (Tralee)
Start a befriending project – to match asylum seeker families with Irish
families who can offer them support and friendship. (Southside)
Encourage local community and voluntary groups to include a focus on the
inclusion refugees and asylum seekers, where appropriate (Tallaght).
Make contact with and build up a relationship with the hostel owners and
staff so that they co-operate with new initiatives (Southside)
Build the capacity of refugees and asylum seekers to participate in
community development work at a pace that is appropriate, e.g. form a selfhelp group, undertake ‘shadow’ roles in the support group or in local
partnership bodies where they work alongside a more experienced person,
training and information on structures (Galway).
Ensure that asylum seekers and refugees are given an opportunity to be
involved in the design and delivery of any programmes developed to meet
their needs (Tallaght, Galway).
Promote social interaction by facilitating links between the refugees and
asylum seekers and the Irish population – i.e. cultural evenings (Tralee,
Tallaght)
Encourage local media to report on the personal experiences (past and
present) of refugees and asylum seekers living in the area (Southside,
Tralee)
Network with other groups working with refugees and asylum seekers to
discuss issues and challenges arising in the work, develop policy positions
and seek to influence relevant local and national policy. (Tallaght, Galway).
Encourage or organise anti-racist and inter-cultural education for community
leaders and volunteers (Tallaght).
Promote training and opportunities for interaction between state agencies
and refugee and asylum seekers to raise awareness and understanding of
their needs and experiences and break down barriers. This could be based
on models used by the Tallaght Refugee Project.
Develop strategies to ensure that local policy making bodies pursue inclusive
planning practices and processes. The target group should also be involved
in the implementation and monitoring of these strategies (Galway,
Southside).
52
Community Based Youth Initiative
Inter-agency work to assess and respond to the educational needs of minors,
including working with schools to meet their needs, developing additional
supports such as literacy and English language training and liaison with
education and training providers to develop tailored responses to people’s
needs (Tralee, Southside, Galway).
Orientation programmes for newly arrived minor asylum seekers,
incorporating a needs assessment and some initial language and literacy
training as required (Southside).
Assessment of childcare needs and development of an inter-agency
response to meet them (Southside).
Involving parents in their children’s education by holding classes or socials in
the school (Tallaght).
Initiatives to promote interaction between Irish parents and the parents of
refugees and asylum seeker children.
Working with youth organisations to include refugees and asylum seekers in
their activities.
Anti-racist training workshops for youth groups, volunteers and participants,
involving refugees and asylum seekers themselves.
Inter-cultural and anti-racist training for Principals and teachers, facilitating
them to tackle the institutional manifestations of racism and plan for an intercultural school, involving refugees and asylum seekers themselves
(Southside).
Engaging in actions to influence policy in relation to educational issues, i.e.
right to education and training for siblings of Irish born children (Tallaght).
Literacy training for adults, children and minors.
Support for creative programmes for refugees and asylum seekers, e.g.
drama that allows them to tell their story (Southside).
Liaison with community development staff to develop follow-up initiatives that
build the capacity of refugees and asylum seekers.
Services for the Unemployed
Many asylum seekers do not have the right to work, but refugees and asylum
seekers who arrived prior to 1999 or with Irish-born children can work. The
employment and training support that can be offered to those without the right to
work is limited. However, the following actions are possible:
Work with other organisations to influence changes in the regulations that
prevent asylum seekers from working.
Developing ways of enabling asylum seekers to undertake meaningful work,
e.g. a LETS system where labour is exchanged or facilitating them to
53
undertake voluntary work in the community that allows them to utilise their
existing skills.
As we have seen in the case studies (particularly Tallaght) for those with the right to
work, the difficulties they face in securing employment can be acute. Some possible
actions to meet their needs are as follows:
Targeting and outreach to refugees and asylum seekers, highlighting the
services offered by the organisation.
Special initiatives to assist refugees with the right to work to start their own
business, taking account of the particular barriers that they face in doing so.
Raising awareness among employers regarding the equality legislation and
cultural differences.
Working with the social partners to develop anti-racist workplace initiatives.
Assistance to refugees with CV preparation and interview skills.
Undertaking a skills analysis of refugees and matching it to the needs of
employers.
Developing training programmes designed to upskill refugees and make
them more job ready.
Undertaking lobbying to encourage the recognition of foreign qualifications in
Ireland.
54
Appendix I
Refugee and asylum seeker PROOFING CHECKLIST
This checklist can be used as a tool by all those engaged in Local Development (at
board and management level, at staff and sub-group level, within the various sectors
that comprise the partnership arrangement, within local and community social and
economic development organisations and groups) to ensure that refugees and
asylum seekers are included from the start in the development of all structures,
policies and practices, and to ensure outcomes for refugees and asylum seekers
within all aspects of the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme and other
programmes.
Proofing
Proofing is a strategy that aims to make sure that refugees and asylum seekers and
their issues are included from the start in the development of all structures, policies
and practices. It is the basic tool of inclusion. Its function is to ensure genuine
participation in all circumstances and situations by refugees and asylum seekers.
Equality Policy and Perspective
•
•
•
•
Does the organisation have baseline data and a clear picture of the current
situation of refugees and asylum seekers?
Does the organisation and the organisations with whom you contract, have an
Equality Policy in place and a Policy statement on refugees and asylum
seekers which reflects the commitment to, and focus on, the requirements of
refugees and asylum seekers and their inclusion within their structures and
range of programmes?
Have resources and supports been put in place to ensure the participation of
refugees and asylum seekers within the structures, processes and
programmes of the organisation and the organisations locally that they
contract to deliver programmes?
Is there an equality officer in place who will have responsibility to ensure the
effective implementation of the equality policy, accompanied by the
appropriate level of resources and time allocation?
Administrative Procedures
•
•
•
•
•
Has the organisation identified its equality objectives and set equality targets
with and for refugees and asylum seekers and their organisations?
Has the organisation developed data gathering processes adequate for
monitoring the achievement of these targets?
Has the organisation established the equality implications of any particular
policy or practice as it relates to refugees and asylum seekers, prior to its
implementation?
Has the organisation developed equality proofing mechanisms to test and
proof its plans, procedures and to monitor the impact of decisions on refugees
and asylum seekers?
Are there procedures to equality proof the impact of policies and procedures
within groups of refugees and asylum seekers? Refugees and asylum
seekers are not a homogenous group – there are differences in terms of
class, gender, ethnic origin, age and sexual orientation can that have a
55
•
•
•
•
•
relevance to the aspirations of specific groups and can involve situations of
double discrimination.
Has the organisation developed and implemented strategies to achieve the
equality targets?
Have guidelines been developed and codes of practice been prepared, for
board of management, staff, or groups or organisations who may be
contracted by your organisation to deliver programmes locally?
Have resources been made available and a programme designed for equality
education and training? And for anti-racist training for the board, staff, subcommittees etc.?
What monitoring and evaluation procedures has the organisation put in place
to determine the level of participation of refugees and asylum seekers in the
structures of the organisation and within and across each of the measures of
the Integrated Local Development Programme? Have independent
monitoring systems been created to analyse and review progress in relation
to equality of outcomes for refugees and asylum seekers?
Is there regular reporting on progress? Does the Partnership or Community
Group publicise in its annual report the progress achieved in the inclusion of
refugees and asylum seekers within its structures, processes, and
programmes?
Participation
•
•
•
•
•
•
Is there representation of the interests of refugees and asylum seekers on
management boards, working committees and sub-groups, in the policy and
decision making areas within the organisation?
Is there a specific interest group with a mandate to ensure that the planning
and work of the organisation is informed of the views, aspirations and
particular needs of refugees and asylum seekers?
Have resources and supports been allocated for achieving the inclusion of
refugees and asylum seekers, including resources and supports for refugees
and asylum seekers to organise and formulate their interests, to build their
organisation?
Are 'positive actions' (such as the translation of information material) in place
to encourage the participation of refugees and asylum seekers?
When funding groups or sub-contracting the delivery of local development
actions, are checks made to ensure that the programmes and services and
the way they are designed and delivered are accessible to refugees and
asylum seekers? And that the location of their programmes and services are
accessible to refugees and asylum seekers?
Are refugees and asylum seekers involved in reviewing existing programmes
and services and in developing new ones that will include them?
56
Appendix 2
Useful Contacts
ORGANISATIONS PROFILED IN CASE STUDIES
Tallaght Refugee Project, West Tallaght Resource Centre, 17 Glenshane Close,
Dublin 24. Contact: Alice Binchy. Tel:01-4522533.
Southside Partnership, 24 Adelaide Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. Contact:
Anne Griffin or Lorraine Stewart. Tel: 01-2301011.
Galway City Partnership, The Plaza, Headford Road, Galway. Contact: Carol Ann
Barr. Tel: 091-773466.
Galway Refugee Support Group, 3 The Plaza, Headford Road, Galway. Contact:
Triona Nic Giolla Choile. Tel: 091-779083.
Partnership Tra Li, 37 Ashe Street, Tralee, Co. Kerry.
Sheppard. Tel: 066-7180190.
Contact:
Christine
NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
African Refugee Network, SICCDA, 90 Meath St., Dublin 8. Tel: 01-4734523.
A Part of Ireland Now, c/o 213 North Circular Rd., Dublin 7. Tel: 01-8782364.
Association of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Ireland (ARASI), 213 North
Circular Rd., Dublin 7. Tel: 01-8381142.
Comhlamh, 10 Upper Camden St, Dublin 2. Tel: 01-4783490.
Equality Authority, Clonmel St., Dublin 2. Tel: 1890 245545 / 01-4173333.
National Consultative Committee on Racism and Inter-culturalism, 26 Harcourt
St., Dublin 2. Tel: 01-4785777.
Integrating Ireland, 10 Upper Camden St., Dublin 2. Tel: 01-4783490.
Irish Refugee Council, 40 Lr Dominick St, Dublin 1. 01-6082766.
NASC (National Immigrant Support Centre), St Maries of the Isle, Sharman
Crawford St., Cork. Tel: 021-4317411.
Refugee Applications Centre, 79-83 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2.
6028000.
Tel: 01-
Refugee Legal Service, Montague Court, 7-11 Montague St., Dublin 2. Tel: 014760265.
SPIRASI (Spiritan Asylum Services Initiatives), 213 North Circular Road,
Phibsborough, Dublin 7. Tel: 01-8683504.
57
Sports against Racism Ireland (SARI), 135 Capel St., Dublin 1. Tel: 01-8735077.
United Nations High Commission for Refugees, 27 Upper Fitzwilliam St., Dublin
2. Tel: 01-6328675.
58
APPENDIX 3
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60