We, in Sanctuary Runners, are very concerned by the way international protection applicants in Ireland are being treated, and communicated with, by the state agencies and government departments tasked with their protection.
Sanctuary Runners is a community integration initiative and we run with people across Ireland who are seeking safety, sanctuary and refuge. We run together as friends– And we are often dismayed by how International Protection Applicants are treated and very worried by the commentary surrounding their plight.
We see human beings referred to, in the media and elsewhere, as statistics, units – there is an ongoing dehumanisation of people seeking international protection which is alarming.
In recent weeks as international protection applicants without accommodation were being moved from Mount Street in Dublin to various locations they were not even told where they were going. How can this be seen as acceptable?
We fully accept there has been unprecedented pressure on the state to provide accommodation for those seeking refuge.
However, the intolerant rhetoric used by some elected representatives risks the safety and protection of those seeking international protection.
We call on all those in positions of power and influence to reaffirm the importance of Solidarity, Friendship and Respect for, and with, ALL in our society including people who have come to Ireland seeking refuge.
After all any society should be judged by the way we treat others – especially those in need. We cannot lose our shared humanity.