‘If I Don’t Do This, Then It Won’t Be Done - Volunteering with Homeless Protection Applicants’, volunteers detail the harrowing conditions they face while supporting protection applicants on Dublin’s streets.
Volunteers provide critical support to homeless protection applicants, who have complex needs unmet by the state. The report surveyed 49 volunteers assisting those seeking protection between January 2023 and October 2024, either on the streets of Dublin or in state-run emergency accommodation.
Testimony gathered for the report reveals that volunteers, 67% of whom are women, are regularly subjected to harassment, stalking, abuse, and violence from anti migrant and far right groups. Incidents described include one volunteer being punched in the face and another receiving threats to have their throat slit.
The Irish Refugee Council (IRC) has urged the Government to accommodate protection applicants, as required by law and in the interim to radically improve the support offered to people who are unaccommodated.