Asylum seekers put up tents along Dublin canal
The new encampments appeared overnight between Mount Street Bridge and Huband Bridge in the city
- Published
Dozens of tents have been pitched along the Grand Canal in Dublin in the Republic of Ireland by asylum seekers.
It comes after hundreds of people who were living in tents in central Dublin were moved to two accommodation sites on Wednesday.
The tents have been put up between Mount Street Bridge and Huband Bridge.
Irish national broadcaster RTÉ said the tents have been erected less than 400 metres from the International Protection Office - where the makeshift campsite had been.
On Wednesday, hundreds of asylum seekers living in a makeshift campsite on Mount Street were moved to two new accommodation sites and the encampment was dismantled.
The Irish government said all asylum seekers had now been moved to Citywest and Crooksling tented accommodation in County Dublin.
A total of 186 applicants were taken to Citywest and a further 99 were accommodated at Crooksling.
On Thursday asylum seekers moved from Mount Street said their new tented accommodation was flooded on Wednesday night.
The men said illness, a lack of running drinking water and the isolated site has all impacted their situation.
The Irish Department of Integration said on Friday that there were 1,676 male asylum seekers without an offer of state accommodation.
A large crowd who gathered on Thursday at the International Protection office in Dublin were told there was no accommodation available and were given details of homeless services.
Charities like the Irish Refugee Council now believe the number of homeless asylum seekers in Ireland stands at around 1,800 - on top of the estimated 14,000 Irish people without accommodation.
The Irish government has not confirmed where new asylum seekers entering the state will go as the state ran out of accommodation last year.
The Irish government has recently expressed concern about the number of asylum seekers coming from the UK to the Republic of Ireland.