FAI to recruit intercultural co-ordinator

By the year 2030 one fifth of the population of Ireland will be made up of non Irish nationals. The influx of such a large number of foreign nationals into the country in such a short space of time has created a number of issues relating to social inclusion, and integration. There have also been incidences of racism that must be eliminated through the application of co-ordinated policy.

To the end the FAI is recruiting an Intercultural Co-ordinator. Show Racism the Red Card, the PFAI and SARI are on the advisory body to support the post.

See the careers section on www.fai.ie

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Players union supports new sanctions against racism

The world body representing professional footballers has come out in favour of tough new sanctions on racism. FIFPro supports a tough line on racism, but wants to see more emphasis on prevention.

From now on players who commit acts of racism can expect a 5 game suspension - accompanied by a stadium ban for the same period - and a fine of €14,000.

Trainers and officials may also face a 5 game suspension and will be required to pay fines of €20,000 per infraction. Racist behaviour by supporters will be punished by a two year stadium ban.

Full story on www.fifpro.org

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Rio Ferdinand attacks Uefa over fight against racism

Manchester United's England defender Rio Ferdinand has accused UEFA of not doing enough to combat racism in the European game.

Ferdinand criticised the fines issued after England players suffered racist taunts in a friendly in Spain in November 2004, though both the match and sanctions were a matter for world ruling body FIFA, rather than its European arm.


"For too long now, European football authorities have not taken the problem of racism in the game seriously and refuse to acknowledge how widespread the problem is," Ferdinand said in a statement on Tuesday March 14th 2006.

The England defender's comments came as the European Parliament in Strasbourg passed a resolution on Tuesday which will provide extra sanctions for tackling racist behaviour by giving referees the power to abandon matches.

Clubs or countries whose supporters, players or officials persistently commit racist offences also risk being thrown out of competitions under the plan which will be discussed by UEFA as part of an independent review of the game in the European Union.

Launched in December, the review will investigate how the game is run across the 25-member bloc and is expected to deliver its report in June.

Ferdinand said: "It is time for UEFA to stop paying lip-service to the problem. The fines handed out after the England-Spain game (100,000 Swiss francs) were a joke.

"UEFA should look at imposing huge fines or deducting points within tournaments or competitions."

Zero Tolerance

Former Chelsea and Celtic defender Paul Elliot told the Parliament that racism is the biggest challenge facing the game across the globe.

"We need a zero tolerance approach and today's resolution gives us an historic opportunity to do this," Elliot said.

This view was echoed by UEFA spokesman William Gaillard who said political sanctions were needed to enforce his organisation's decisions.

Gaillard pointed out UEFA's lack of jurisdiction over the England-Spain match or in the recent abuse faced by Barcelona's Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o in a Spanish league match.

"UEFA imposed sanctions in tens of hundreds of thousands last year," Gaillard said.

"We have banned stadiums for up to four games, have closed sections of stadiums in a number of countries.

"I think UEFA have been relentless in their fight against racism but we need sanctions from politicians in some countries to protect us from the wrath of clubs who are hit with these sanctions."

British member of the European Parliament and former referee Chris Heaton-Harris said the perpetrators always get off lightly.

"They've basically been getting away with nothing more than a slap on the wrist but today shows that there is political will to support UEFA in showing racism the red card," the politician said.


Source: Super Soccer

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Far right rise in UK

A survey this week has revealed that up to 25% would be willing to vote for the fascist BNP party. "That's something we have never seen before, in all my years. Even when people voted BNP, they used to be ashamed to vote BNP. Now they are not," said Labour Minister Margaret Hodge MP.

The BNP was founded in the 1970s by John Tyndall, a former National Socialist who dressed in paramilitary uniform and in his youth traveled to Germany to buy his first pair of genuine jackboots. But in 1999, he was ousted in an internal coup by Cambridge graduate Nick Griffin, son of a wealthy Conservative party official, who has exploited anti-Islamic sentiment since 9/11 and last year's London bombings to widen the party's appeal.

The BNP is fielding candidates for 356 seats, more than it has ever contested before. It currently holds 15 council seats across Britain, including six in the depressed northern town of Burnley which has a large immigrant population.

In the 2004 local elections the BNP received around 800,000 votes, not much in a country of 60 million, but enough to sound alarm bells, particularly as it forged links with similar anti-immigrant parties abroad like France's Front National and the Belgian Vlaams Blok. In the last European Parliament elections, the BNP won 4.9 percent of the vote.

Its campaign manifesto is aimed at white parents, stressing that immigrant children should not be taught with native English speakers until they are competent in the language, that state-funded schools should not have to teach in Asian languages, and that teachers should be allowed to spank children, despite the ban on all corporate punishment by the European Union -- which the BNP wants to leave.

It was BNP supporters who were suspected of the brutal murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993. The police failed at the time to recognise it as a racist murder. The Mac Pherson inquiry in 1999 stated that it was 'institutionalised racism' that failed in the investigation to find the killers.
More information can be found at:
http://www.yre.org.uk/towerhamlets.html

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FIFA ENACTING PENALTIES FOR RACISM AT WORLD CUP

Teams at the World Cup will be subject to FIFA's new anti-racism rules, which include a possible three-point penalty in the standings for misbehavior by fans. FIFA's new rules took effect April 4 and will govern domestic competitions starting next season.

"The regulations will also be applied for this World Cup," FIFA president Sepp Blatter told Sky TV in an interview aired Tuesday. "At the first sign (of racism) there will be a deduction of three points, then we are finished with the problems of discrimination."

The measures for domestic leagues include a deduction of three points for a first offense, six for a second and relegation for a third. Fines can also be given to fans or officials for "any act or expression of a discriminatory and/ or contemptuous nature.

Blatter said the FIFA Congress will discuss the matter when it meets before the World Cup opener in Munich, Germany, on June 9. "We go now to the Congress in 45-50 days and then it will be by decision of the Congress to give FIFA the authority to intervene in case of non-application," he said.

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Racism afflicts top French side- Paris Saint German

Warming up on the sideline, a black player jogs toward fans at the Parc des Princes soccer stadium. As he gets closer, a barrage of monkey chants explodes -- ''OOOH! OOOH! OOOH!''-- and racist insults fill the air.

Many of the fans yelling insults are members of white hooligan gangs that prowl the stadium grounds on game day, looking for a rumble with black and Arab members of a multiethnic rival gang. Interviews with gang members and repeated visits to PSG games found that racist hooligans operate openly and with almost total impunity at the 43,000-seat stadium on the western outskirts of Paris.

Soccer, with its many black stars, should be a showcase of multiracial harmony -- especially in France, which draws heavily on talent from its former African colonies. Instead, brawling soccer fans have emerged as the extreme fringe of a deeply troubled France -- one whose problems include grappling with stiffening resistance to
immigration.

Unlike soccer hooliganism elsewhere, in which the antagonists are fans of rival teams, the clashes outside Parc des Princes are largely between fans rooting for the same team -- PSG. PSG supporters in the bleachers divide along racial lines in two opposing sections of stands -- the Kop of Boulogne behind one goal, and the Tribune d'Auteuil behind the other. Boulogne is nearly entirely Caucasian; Auteuil is multiracial, including whites.


Two all-white groups -- the Independents and the Casual Firm -- have fought with increasing ferocity in recent months with multiracial Tigris Mystic. (The English-language names of the white groups reflect the influence English soccer hooliganism has had in Europe.)

Some black players say the atmosphere at Parc des Princes has become intolerable. ''I'd have to think twice before setting foot there again,'' Senegal-born Patrick Vieira, a midfielder for the French national team, told The Associated Press.

During one match, a fan yelled at PSG midfielder Vikash Dhorasoo, a France international midfielder of Indian origin, ''Go sell peanuts in the metro.'' It was among the least offensive shouts in a tirade of vulgar epithets for blacks. PSG officials insist racists are a minority among the fans, and that their powers to combat such racists are limited -- even with 102 cameras inside the stadium. ''Understand one thing: PSG has no police authority or lawmaking power,'' the club's director of communications, Jean-Philippe d'Halliville, said in an interview.

On March 7, a Paris court convicted three PSG supporters of unfurling a racist banner at a February 2005 match held in support of an anti-racism campaign. The court banned the fans from the stadium for three years, ordering them to report to police during matches, and fined them up to $1,200. But that was a minor success in the fight against racist hooligans.

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Drogheda leading in more ways than one

League leaders, FAI cup winners and Setanta Cup finalists have teamed up with the local council and voluntary organisations to Show Racism the Red Card.

Drogheda United fans who buy their Setanta Cup tickets early are in for a double treat with a free Show Racism the Red Card poster being distributed with the first few thousand tickets. The new poster will also be available for free at the new Drogheda United shop on Shop Street in the town centre.

Club commercial manager Ophir Zardok and Drogs Midfielder Shane Robinson met yesterday with Show Racism the Red Card's Garrett Mullan and Fran Gavin of the PFAI along with key stakeholders in the town.

Moneymore FC, Drogheda United Ladies, Louth County Council, Drogheda Council and the local RAPID regeneration co-ordinator Valerie Artherton and others are key stakeholders in driving the initiative forward.

The meeting set out a plan of action involving Drogheda United and Show Racism the Red Card with the support of Drogheda Borough Council and other bodies to Show Racism the Red Card sending out a clear message that all the town are Drogs regardless of nationality and race.

Garrett Mullan said: "Drogheda is a fast growing town with migrant's of many nationalities. Our meeting today is an illustration of the way forward towards developing the town, the team and interculturalism. Hopefully it is the start of something exciting".

The Drogheda United Show Racism the Red Card poster is being distributed with match tickets for crucial clash which will see Cork City seeking payback in the Setanta Cup final next Saturday at Tolka Park. It is also downloadable from www.theredcard.ie

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Steau fail in appeal over racist abuse to Shels player

UEFA's Appeals Body has rejected an appeal by Romanian team FC Steaua Bucuresti in a case involving the racist conduct of their supporters. On the other hand, the Appeals Body upheld the appeal submitted by UEFA in this case.



First time
At its meeting in Nyon, the Appeals Body increased the fine awarded to Steaua to €19,500, and the club have been ordered to play their next UEFA Cup home game in a stadium 250km away. It is the first time a stadium has been closed as a disciplinary measure for a racist act.

Fan misconduct
The original fine of €16,500, imposed on Steaua by the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Committee, was prompted by supporters making "monkey sounds" at Irish side Shelbourne FC's substitute Joseph Ndo in the final minutes of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round second leg. It was acknowledged at the appeals hearing, on the basis of the evidence submitted, that the club did not do enough against this kind of misconduct among its fans.

Racist conduct
In another case, UEFA's appeal has been rejected by the Appeals Body in a hearing dealing with the racist conduct of Bulgarian team CSKA Sofia's supporters at another Champions League qualifier.
source: www.uefa.com

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Far right groups attempt to hijack World Cup

A neo-Nazi group in Germany has announced plans to attach themselves to Iran during the World Cup to further its dissemination of anti-semitic propaganda. The NPD party, a right-wing extremist group, intends to march around the east German city of Leipzig on June 21, when Iran take on Angola in group D.



The move is the latest example of extremist groups attempting to take advantage of the competition to promote their ideologies. The Portuguese right-wing group Frente Nacional is intending to demonstrate during the match between Angola and Portugal in Cologne on June 11 and the NPD will also target Poland's games.

The NPD admires the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has referred to the Holocaust as "a myth" and called for Israel to be "wiped of the map". Germany's interior minister Wolfgang Schäuble has however confirmed that German and Iranian diplomats are discussing the possibility of Ahmadinejad - who showed his support for the national team last month by turning up at a training camp in a tracksuit before their friendly against Costa Rica - coming to the World Cup.

The news comes as Germany's football federation (DFB) prepares to throw open its archives in an attempt to come to terms with its enthusiastic support of the Nazis during the Hitler era, after covering it up for six decades. "In a few weeks we'll be welcoming the world to Germany and we want to face up to our history," said the DFB co-president Theo Zwanziger.

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

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FIFA clarify deadline on racism crackdown

World football's governing body FIFA have clarified the deadline they set for the implementation of a new law that punishes clubs whose fans racially abuse players after Inter Milan escaped with a mere fine for a recent transgression.


Under the new system, clubs found guilty of failing to prevent their supporters from abusing players on racial grounds could be docked three points for a first offence, six for a second and even relegated in the case of repeated incidents.

But last week, Inter Milan escaped with a fine of just 25,000 euros (31,000 dollars) from the Italian football authorities as punishment for the racist behaviour of their fans during a Serie A match against Messina, with no hint of a points deduction.

In a statement posted on their website, FIFA said the new ruling would come into effect immediately for those football associations whose regulations already contain a clause setting out the same punishment.

But other football associations that have no such rule regarding racial abuse, such as Italy, have been given a July 1 deadline to implement the new law, FIFA said.

Messina's African defender Mark Zoro, an Ivory Coast international, was subjected to monkey chants at the San Siro, leading to speculation that Inter may be the first club to fall foul of FIFA's tough new laws.

A points deduction would have hit Inter's Champions League qualification hopes but observers around Europe were stunned to see the Italian giants let off with just a fine.

It was the second time this season that Zoro had been racially abused by Inter fans.


Source: AFP

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Eto runs racist gauntlet again

The Spanish government a month ago adopted a bill aimed at clamping down on racism and doping in sport, harmonising its legislation with the EU equivalent.

But the move didn't rescue Barcelona's Cameroon international striker Samuel Eto'o, who was once more the victim of mindless racist chanting on Sunday after he scored in the reigning champions' 2-2 draw at Racing Santander.


Earlier this season, Eto'o threatened to walk off the pitch after some fans at Real Zaragoza greeted his every touch with a cacophony of monkey noises.

On Sunday he seemed visibly upset for a moment but kept his cool.

Zaragoza were subsequently fined a paltry 9,000 euros (11,000 dollars) by the Spanish Football Federation.

Another high-profile outbreak of racism at a Spanish stadium came in a November 2004 friendly between Spain and England in Madrid, where black England players Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips ran the gauntlet of monkey chants.

The government is drawing up draft legislation on eradicating racist violence as a "response to those who insist on considering racist behaviour either banal or the product of a minority."

The text forsees tougher sanctions and a wider remit for the existing National Commission on anti-violence within sport, a government agency.

Authorities reacted after football's world governing body FIFA said it was to introduce points deductions for clubs whose supporters abuse black players.

Under the FIFA system, clubs found guilty of failing to prevent their supporters from abusing opposing players on racial grounds could be docked three points for a first offence, six for a second and could even be relegated in the case of repeated incidents.


Source: AFP

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Racism sanctions for World Cup

FIFA has told the 32 national associations taking part in this summer's FIFA World Cup that its new, more severe, provisions on racism and discrimination will apply at the tournament in Germany.

Article 55 applies

The world football body says in a circular that Article 55 of the FIFA disciplinary code will apply for the entire duration of the World Cup. Last month, FIFA's Executive Committee decided to take tougher action against racism and discrimination. "FIFA has always taken its role in combating discrimination of any kind very seriously. Despite this fact, there has been a surge in discriminating gestures and language at football matches in recent months," said FIFA.

Match suspension

Article 55 now stipulates a suspension of five matches at every level of football as well as a stadium ban and a minimum fine of CHF20,000 for any act or expression of a discriminatory and/or contemptuous nature. If an official commits such an offence, the fine will be CHF30,000. Furthermore, an association or club will be fined CHF30,000 if any of its supporters display discriminatory banners or behave in a discriminatory or contemptuous manner during a game. If spectators cannot be identified as fans of one or the other association or club, the host association or club will be sanctioned accordingly.

Stadium ban

The stadium ban on offending spectators remains at least two years. A new provision in the article guarantees that if any player, official or supporter behaving in a discriminatory or contemptuous manner can be attributed to a certain team, three points will automatically be deducted from that team for the first offence. In the case of a second offence, six points will be deducted. In the case of matches played without points being awarded, the side in question will be disqualified.

Entire duration

"Your attention is drawn to the fact that Article 55 of the FIFA disciplinary code will, in any event, apply for the entire duration of the 2006 World Cup," FIFA told the 32 associations. "The World Cup finalist associations are therefore required to notify everyone involved of the sanctions involved in the case of infringement."


Source: UEFA

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Carribean Midfielder returns after Russian adventure

Wesley Charles (30) is in his seventh season with Bray Wanderers having just returned from from Rostov. Charles has covered many miles since he first left his homeland island of St Vincent in the Carribean at the tender age of 18 in pursuit of his sporting ambitions.


Refusal of a work permit at Bury in England saw him move north west and across the water to Sligo Rovers. Subsequently he moved to Bray and has been with the seaguls since. His form at club and international level saw him obtain teh unusual opportunity of football in southern Russian city of Rostov.

"It was really good because I was introduced to full-time training and the standard of the league is really high. Some class players like Maniche (now at Chelsea) and some talented Brazilians. There were a lot of foreign players in the league together with some quality Russians".

However he does not that one of the major downsides to the Russian game is racism. "One time we went to play Spartak Moscow, their fans were bad. There were three black lads on our team and the crowd were giving monkey chants and stuff like that. It didn't happen everywhere we went, it was only Moscow. The funny thing about it is that the Moscow teams have black players too, it just didn't make sense".

Now he is back in Bray and says it wasn't a big decision to come back especially as many of the locals sent him cards when he was in Rostov, he feels at home by the sea. Bray have brought through many great players and its current cosmopolitan mix combined with the recognition its veteran manager Pat Devlin achieved this week in his appointment as manager of the Ireland B internationals marks them out as a team to watch in 2006.

Source of story- Eoin Dunne, Soccer correspondent of the Irish Independent

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Spotlight on a nation- The Russians in Ireland

There are now over 100,000 Russian speakers living in Ireland. They come from Latvia, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and are catered for by Nasha Gazeta (Our Paper) for news in their own language. Garrett Mullan spoke to founder and editor Sergey Tarutin about publishing for Russians in Ireland.

Lietuvis and Nasha Gazeta
Since 2001, he has been publishing two papers after selling his part in a Russian restaurant at the Westbury Mall. After September 11, crucial American custom led him to swapped food for eat to food for thought with the publication of a paper for Eastern Europeans. At the time the Lithuanians, Russians and Ukrainians were the biggest eastern European communities in Ireland.

With a weekly circulation of 10,000 Sergey took me through page by page of Nasha Gazeta to get an idea of what influences the Russian speakers in Ireland. The front page is different to Irish papers in that it is all advertisements. Inside is a full page feature on the Ukrainian election. Last year the world was witness to the Orange Revolution in Ukraine which saw the Russian oriented leader Kuchma overthrown by popular protest. Now the Orange revolution has been seen not to deliver, they are being thrown out of the parliament.

Elsewhere in the paper there is coverage of the Yukos trials in Russia and closer to home in Ireland Sergey says his readers are very interested in the crime pages. There is a full page feature on the role and function of Garda Siochana.

Advice
Like the Polish Gazeta there are pages of advice on financial issues such as setting up a bank account and how to apply for a mortgage. There is also advice pages on rights at work from a SIPTU official. SIPTU have an organising unit which includes Russian speakers, so the Gazeta and SIPTU regularly work together.

The paper also publishes a syndicate edition of Russia's oldest paper- La Russe Pense (The Russian Soul) which is based in France and is distributed throughout Europe. Like US media syndicates, this is a European Russian language 20 page supplement.

Sport
The paper carries coverage of Russian boxers, skiing and ice hockey which are popular sports in Eastern Europe.

Last season they had a GAA and Soccer correspondent but this year there is no coverage of local sport. Sergey says 'we are very keen to promote an understanding of Gaelic games among our readers. Through sport we can promote integration'.

To encourage this process of integration, I advise Sergey that Bohemians FC have a multilingual website and email list and hope that soon it will be in Russian and that Eircom League clubs such as Shamrock Rovers, Drogheda United and Galway United are keenly interested in promoting non-Irish national support of the game.

Also the 5,000 Lietuvis weekly readers will be interested that Shelbourne have drawn
Vetra Vilnius in the first round of the Intertoto Cup 2006 in June. Sergey is opening the door is open to encouraging intercultural activities between Irish and Russian speakers. The Shelbourne V Vetra Vilnius games on 17th and 24th June, provides a fabulous opportunity for Irish - Lithuanian intercultural awareness.

The next feature for curious readers of Spotlight on a nation will shine on the Chinese in Ireland.

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Rovers winning start to season

Shamrock Rovers fans were given more reasons to be happy with the start to the 2006 season. A Darren O' Brien o.g. for Kilkenny gave the Hoops their fourth win of the season. Fans were also given a free poster of the team bearing the Show Racism the Red Card slogan.

Show Racism the Red Card has teamed up with Shamrock Rovers and South Dublin Council to carry forwad the anti-racism message. The three partners are working out plans to develop work that will prepare for joint work to have a robust stand on racism also working to build the profile of the club.

Co-ordinator of Show Racism the Red Card Garrett Mullan said: "It is of huge significance to us that the first club poster we have produced is Shamrock Rovers- a club steeped in history. This poster initiative is just part of the work we are all doing to campaign against racism, make sport inclusive and is an addition for the club's very positive start to the season".

Posters are downloadable from www.theredcard.ie and are available at our postal address.

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Russian league clamps down on racism

FC Zenit St Petersburg is under investigation by the Russian Football Union (RFU) after fans made monkey calls at the Brazilian captain of a visiting Russian Premier League team.


Zenit could receive an official warning in a bid to stamp out racism in the stands. The RFU has already issued a warning to Torpedo Moscow after it came to the conclusion that Torpedo's supporters racially abused FC Moscow's black players in a game between the two sides on March 12. Torpedo fans were chanting noises that the RFU inspection committee described as 'animal noises.'

Leipzig defender Adebowale Ogungbure, a Nigerian national, was taunted by spectators throughout the match and assaulted as he left the pitch. He countered by making a Nazi salute.

Points deduction

The RFU has asked Torpedo to warn fan club officials that racially abusive behavior is strictly forbidden. If such abuse occurs in the future Torpedo could lose six points in the leafue, the RFU has warned.

Zenit could be issued a similar warning if the RFU finds the behavior of the Zenit supporters to have been racially abusive.

After two games in the 2006/07 domestic season Torpedo stand at 14 in the 16-team league with one point. Zenit is third with four points. The captain of Saturn Moscow was greeted by monkey noises from Zenit fans as he raised the Russian flag to mark the first game of the Premier League season at Petrovsky Stadium on March 19.

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Jim Magilton speaks out against racism

Northern Ireland and Ipswich veteran midfielder Jim Magilton has thrown his weight behind the Show Racism the Red Card campaign.

Speaking to The Red Card, he says: "I've witnessed it during certain games and I've always tried to stand up against it. I don't believe in it and I don't think it has any credence in our game or our society at all.

I've been called an "Irish so-and-so"...it makes me feel more determined. I never let it get on my back. I don't know what it's like (to experience racism) because of the colour of my skin. It's a shocking thing that because you've got a different colour skin to me that someone would have the gall to stand up and call you a certain name.

It's ridiculous. The first time I saw it, was at Anfield and John Barnes was at Liverpool. I was a young pro at Liverpool in a derby game when the Everton supporters threw bananas. It was totally disgusting. That was the first time I had ever seen it at such close quarters".

His advice to young people who witness racism is: "Discourage it as much as you can. If you hear someone say it, ask them why they say it - why would they call someone a certain name? It doesn't have to be verbal either. It could be ignoring people for certain reasons. It's difficult to stand as one person, but if you're with a group of mates and you hear someone being racist, go and stand up against it. You all should be brave enough to stand up against it. Be educated and aware and don't be ignorant about it".

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The coaches with a conscience

Show Racism the Red Card held a presentation at Sunderland Civic Centre on its outreach work in schools in Sunderland and South Tyneside boroughs.

In attendance were two first team players from Sunderland AFC, former Middlesbrough FC player Curtis Fleming and former Sunderland AFC players Kieron Brady and Gary Bennett.



Sarah Soyei - Schools Work Coordinator for Show Racism the Red Card said: "Sunderland City Council were the first council to work in partnership with us to develop an anti-racist education programme in local schools. Their support has enabled ex-footballers Gary Bennett and Kieron Brady to deliver football training and anti-racist workshops to over 3000 young people in the Sunderland Area. This pilot scheme has attracted interest from many other councils and the best practice developed in Sunderland is now being used as the basis for a countrywide guide".

Gary Bennett said: "We have been receiving great reviews of our work from teachers and young people alike and it is very rewarding to work with young people and know that we are helping to combat racism".

Kieron Brady said: "When we started the scheme 18 months ago we were only working in schools in Sunderland, but we are now receiving requests from throughout the North East as word of the work has spread. I have even been invited to give a presentation in Sweden."

For further information: contact the SRTRC office on 0191 291 0160.

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Asylum seekers abused in food row

Residents at a Dublin accommodation centre for asylum seekers claimed staff threatened to beat them for requesting clean bed clothes and extra food.

Gardai have been called to the centre a number of times to deal with complaints ranging from insufficient food for babies to arbitrating dining times. There have been complaints about a lot of centres according to the Irish Refugee Council.

Allegations that staff are abusive in some of the centres, while standards of accommodation and food in some direct provision centres have been 'significantly inferior' to the contract between the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) and the centre's owners.

Complaints include a 'severely traumatised' man living in the Kinsale Road accommodation centre in Cork on medical advice. He claimed he was moved to anothe room without his doctor's consent, and that his personal belongings were placed in a plastic bag in the office.

He was later information by the RIA that because he had not been signing in and out, he was presumed to have abandoned his accommodation. He did not know he was obliged to sign in and had not left the hostel because of his medical condition.

A family in a small accommodation centre in the west of Ireland had a sizeable section of their room's ceiling cave in close to their baby's cot, despite having reported leakages in the ceiling on a number of occasions.

In a Dublin centre, there have been repeated instances in the past two years of security and front desk staff threatening to hit of beat residents for requesting bedclothes and food.

Staff in one centre are reported to have deliberately not respected Halal eating requirements by purposely using the same utensils to serve pork and other products.

Some people have been living in 'Direct Provision' for up to six years and that children had grown up not knowing what it was like to have lived in a normal home.

Over half of all asylum seekers were under 35 and up to 1,000 people have been living in 'Direct Provision' for over two years.

"There are children growing up in an environment where the child has never seen the parent cook a meal or go to work" said Michelle Moor legal officer at the IRC.

"Management in some centres seem to be threatening residents by saying that they'll report them to Justice. Where people have lost atonomy, the psychological effects and being treated this way can be very difficult.

(source- Paul Melia- Irish Independent)

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