Ireland's government has offered €10,000 to migrant families who leave Dublin, as part of efforts to ease pressure on the capital's strained accommodation system. The move comes amid growing public backlash over the handling of asylum seekers and refugees, with many being housed in hotels and tented encampments.
The Citywest Hotel, once a luxury resort, now houses 1,577 Ukrainian refugees and 565 asylum seekers, mostly young men from North Africa and the Middle East, in its convention centre. The government paid €53.7 million to the hotel's owners last year. On Wednesday, 138 more asylum seekers were bused to the hotel after being cleared from a tented encampment outside the International Protection Office.
Taoiseach Simon Harris described the encampment as a 'makeshift shanty town' and ordered its removal. The operation involved security guards, cranes, and hazmat-suited workers. The government is struggling to accommodate the influx, with 105,000 Ukrainian refugees and 35,000 other asylum seekers arriving since 2022, now accounting for nearly 3% of the population.
The housing crisis has worsened, with 15,000 Irish citizens homeless and property ownership out of reach for many young people. The cost of housing refugees now exceeds €2 billion per year, equivalent to €1,000 per household. The situation has sparked tensions, with some locals expressing frustration over the strain on resources.
