Augmenting social welfare for asylum seekers in Ireland

Lessening perceived pull factors and preventing alleged abuse of welfare systems is proffered as the key rationale for significantly limited weekly social welfare payments for persons claiming asylum. Despite these narratives continuing to dominate parliamentary, Government, judicial and public thinking for almost two decades, between 2016 and 2019, weekly payments to asylum seekers in Ireland doubled, albeit starting from an extraordinarily low level. This article presents the first comprehensive description, analysis and critique of how and why this doubling of weekly social welfare payments for asylum seekers occurred. Framed within the context of a Government sponsored reform initiative, the reasons for weekly payment increases to asylum seekers is multifaceted. Rather than being able to trace policy proposals through publicly accessible information, extensive reliance was made on obtaining documentation through the Freedom of Information Act. The interactions of political expediency, legislative reform, and implementing reform proposals, all contributed to further protection of social welfare rights for asylum seekers in Ireland. Nevertheless, these advances must be viewed in light of continuing rejection of equal applicability of social assistance law to persons seeking asylum.