Asylum seekers' tents back along Dublin canal

New tents lined the banks of Dublin's Grand Canal on Friday morning

Another group of asylum seekers have pitched tents along the Grand Canal in Dublin.

The tents have been set up in an area upstream from where another encampment was removed by Irish authorities early on Thursday morning.

More than 160 men who are seeking international protection were transferred to government-provided accommodation during that operation.

Steel barriers were also placed around the area.

The tents are pitched along a popular canal walking route

The emergence of another cluster of tents nearby underlines the growing problem facing the authorities as the number of asylum seekers arriving in Ireland continues to rise.

The government has already stated that any new encampment will be removed.

Up to now, the people who have been moved from makeshift encampments, mostly young men, have been transferred to emergency government-provided accommodation.

This includes basic amenities to cater for their immediate emergency needs.

On Friday morning, a senior government minister, Paschal Donohoe, said the government is trying to deal with the problem in a “compassionate and fair manner”.

He said the government is continuing to seek more emergency accommodation to assist the growing number of people who are coming to the country seeking international assistance and protection.