Irish asylum system breeds 'marginalisation'

Despite signs of progress, Ireland's treatment of asylum seekers remains severely flawed, says Peter Mahoney, the chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council. "Having opted out of the relevant EU directive, Ireland and Denmark are now the only EU states to maintain a ban on the right to work for asylum seekers. One woman and her children have been here since 1997 and, while they have not received a deportation order, they have absolutely no guarantee of being allowed to stay, despite the fact that the children have spent the greater part of their lives in Ireland. ... The social isolation and sense of helplessness that many people face in the asylum system must be tackled as a matter of urgency, if we are to avoid an explosion of despair from within marginalised asylum-seeking communities."

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