The asylum system in Ireland has been described as one of the best in Western Europe by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Pia Prütz Phiri, the previous UNHCR representative in Ireland, referring to the country’s asylum system, said: “Compared to the rest of Europe and the world, Ireland has to be a model as to what can be done efficiently.” So why did 41 Afghan asylum seekers occupy a church in Dublin, and go on a hunger strike in a bid to prevent their deportation back to Afghanistan? While none of them have been served with the dreaded deportation orders, they were not granted refugee status. This left them in a situation of limbo, thus explaining their actions.

<B>Turning nasty</B>

On Sunday 14th May, 41 men, including nine minors, occupied a 16th century cathedral in Dublin, and started a hunger strike, determined to take it to the bitter end if their requests were not met. They released a statement, which read: “We have been in Ireland for years and most of us have been suffering mental and physical problems besides the mental and physical problems we had in Afghanistan. We want an answer from the Irish government – is it life in Ireland or death?” It continued, “We could not bear this anymore so finally we are here in this Holy Church having a hunger strike for our future whether it is to be life or death .”

However, despite the desperate actions of this group of Afghans, the Irish government was not about to review its asylum policies, which consider each application on a case by case basis. Thus, it cannot consider a group of people, even if their country is completely destroyed, to qualify for asylum. A “no blanket decision” policy can thus grant some Afghans refugee status, while others are deemed unsuitable for such a “favour”. The only exception when a whole group of citizens from one country can be accepted in Ireland is through the UNHCR’s “resettlement programme”. The last time this programme was activated was to grant…200 Afghans refugee status. This year, 200 Iraqis will make their way to Ireland under the umbrella of the resettlement programme.

This time, there would be no compassion from the Irish government, which saw itself as being blackmailed by the protesters. As it refused to concede ground, the hunger strike went on, the determination of the Afghans wavered, some accepting water to ease their discomfort while a few were taken to hospital in critical condition. Six days later, the police moved in and removed them from the cathedral and the protest was over. The government had taken a hard line, with the minister for justice referring to the protest as a “so-called hunger strike”, in a bid to belittle the actions of the men. It was also repeatedly claimed that some of them had previously been part of the Taliban, a piece of information that remained unconfirmed, but if true, it would have alienated any potential sympathisers.

But it was the hostility of the press to the Afghans which was staggering. The biggest selling newspaper, the Sunday Independent, published a front-page story claiming that one of the hunger striker had written that he had killed and raped in Afghanistan, on his asylum application form. Thus, he could not go back to his country, for fear of being killed. While this sounded a rather bizarre approach to obtaining asylum, the ‘news’ was never confirmed. The same newspaper wrote a ludicrous accompanying piece that claimed that Afghanistan was safe and secure. It must be asked what Afghanistan the journalist was referring to, when the department of Foreign Affairs says “the security situation in Afghanistan remains serious and the threat to Westerners from terrorist or criminal violence, including kidnappings, remains high.” It also advises its citizens to avoid all unnecessary travel to Kabul and all travel to the rest of the country.

Blemished record on asylum</B>