The System of Direct Provision for Asylum Seekers: Shadow Report submitted to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) for its Consideration of the Combined Fifth to Ninth Periodic Reports of Ireland (CERD/C/IRL/5-9), November 2019

Keyissues/recommendations: (1) Alternate solutions to accommodating persons seeking asylum and ensure persons are not exposed to prolonged communal living, to ensure full respect, protection and fulfilment of rights to shelter, private and family life and human dignity. (2) Emergency accommodation should be used for only the most limited of time periods, and rights of persons seeking asylum should be fully vindicated. (3) Rates of social assistance payments to asylum seekers must be based on comparable rates of social assistant payments to persons who are habitually resident in Ireland. All child asylum seekers must be entitled to child benefit. (4) Asylum seekers should have a right to work after a period of no more than six months. Ireland should re-consider the prohibition on asylum seekers entering publicly funded employment.