Last week’s podcast got quite some interest, which is encouraging, I decided to carry on and get more asylum seekers to react to the new Right To Work rule, which has many restrictions and makes it virtually impossible for asylum seekers to find employment, and which helps exploitation to flourish and carry on.

This week I traveled to a different county, where one of the asylum seekers I know had organised a group of her fellow residents in the Direct Provision Centre for a group interview.

There were four of them, two women and two men.

Mrs A has arrived over a year ago and has still not been interviewed by the International Protection Office, she does not know when this will happen and told us that she loses sleep every night worrying and wondering when she will finally get an answer. She has worked, she agreed over the phone that she would be minding children for 150€/week,  full time.

When she arrived for the job she was given many more tasks, apart from minding children she was also cleaning, washing and cooking, doing the general house work. At the end of the week her client would always find a reason why she did not deserve 150€ and would only pay 100€. Let it sink in, this lady was getting 20€ a day for being the housekeeper/babysitter.

Her reaction to the new rule is like most others: it is a way of saying to asylum seekers they will never work until they have their papers, but by that time, with the delays in the IPO, the asylum seekers have often not been able to use their skills, to get access to proper education and they will find it very hard to find work.

Ms A’s message to the government is: ‘please give us a chance to show you what we are capable of.’

Ms B is a marketeer. She studied marketing in her home country. She is a single mum and has a child that stayed behind and to whom she has to send money, and a son in Ireland. Ms B has been in Ireland for 4 years and is feeling stressed and depressed. The hostel she is staying in is far away from town, there is nothing to do, it is very difficult. Her son goes to the local Gaelscoil.

Ms B gets by here by cleaning houses. She was asked to clean some holiday homes and would get 20€ for cleaning three houses, taking her a full day.

The marketeer left a job where she was asked to mind children, but got abused by the client and was asked to perform much more than what she was hired for.

Ms B has been in Ireland for 4 years and is feeling stressed and depressed. The hostel she is staying in is far away from town, there is nothing to do, it is very difficult. Her son goes to the local Gaelscoil.

Mr X arrived in Ireland 10 years ago, he has done many odd jobs, the worst memory he has is of a car wash, where he worked six days a week, 9 to 10 hours a day, washing cars in the rain and the cold, and getting 100 to 120 € at the end of those six days. What he finds most disturbing is that the car wash is run by a fellow African man.

Mr X told us how not only women are coerced into prostitution, he said there are plenty of women who would gladly offer money in exchange for sex, and what do you do if you have nothing? He talks about how degrading and horrible it is.

Mr X would like to ask the minister of justice to come and take his place in Direct Provision, he doubts the minister would last for more that 2 days. Direct Provision breaks you, you snap.

Mr Y has arrived in Ireland nearly 1 year ago. He has not yet been asked for an interview and feels like his life is in limbo. He lives in Direct Provision with his wife and children. He is a proud family man but feels awful because he can’t provide for his family. Mr Y is convinced that the new rule means that the government really does not care about asylum seekers, he is worried that he may have to wait for years, just like many others. He says he sometimes wonders if it would have been better to stay behind and get killed, or even to commit suicide. Mr Y warns the government that leaving people in limbo will create anger, some people might resort to crime, and who would be to blame?

Mr Y has worked on farms, working from 9AM to 6 or 6:30PM, with no lunch or tea break. He would be so exhausted after one week’s work that he’d feel sick for two weeks after. He would be paid 40€ for a full day’s work without breaks.

It was a very emotional hour in the centre. Have a listen to the stories.

MASI is organising a protest this Thursday, Feb 8th  at 1PM-2PM in Dublin at Leinster house, simultaneous protests are taking place in Galway and Cork (Daunt Square)

Ireland has recently signed up to the EU directive on the asylum process.

We are looking at  asylum seekers being granted the right to work.

In November 2017 the asylum seekers across Ireland got quite excited when they learned about the goverment’s plan to grant those who were not yet refused refugee status, and were still waiting for a decision after 9 months, the right to work.

I was asked to help with writing CVs, I helped one of my friends to set himself up on LinkedIn. The expectations were high.

And then it happened. The right to work for asylum seekers was announced, only with so many restrictions that hardly any person seeking asylum in Ireland will get access to the labour market.

It was devestating news, many people saw their hopes evaporate.

This is not about people just wanting to have something to do while they wait for the decisison on the asylum process, this is often about an absolute necessity for the many parents who have fled their countries and were separated from their families. Many of them are proud fathers who came here thinking they’d reunite quickly with their families after being granted the refugee status; little did they know that they’d be waiting for years in uncertainty.

Some of them are mothers who came here to look for protection and a safe and better life for their children; never thinking this better life would take so long to achieve.

These parents, husbands and wives have to send money to their families, they need to earn, they need to work.

The vultures out there are aware of that, and they offer work on the black market, often terribly underpaid and in dangerous circumstances.

I spoke to three people in this podcast that have agreed to talk about their experiences here; why they have to work, the type of work they do and the circumstances they work under.

The podcast starts off with a statement by Jennifer Dewan from Nasc.

Nasc was quite pleased that the Irish government decided to sign up to the EU directive on the asylum process. They were cautiously optimistic when it was announced that the asylum seekers would be given the right to work, but, just like all of us, extremely disapointed and upset with the announcement of the minister and with the many restrictions that make working practically impossible for asylum seekers.

Mr.X, talks about why he has to work, he is the head of the family and needs to provide. Mr X has worked in leaflet distribution where he would sometimes walk for 10 hours, without a break, without lunch, often in the rain and cold. For these 10 hours he would be paid between 35 and 50€.

He also briefly worked in construction (breaking down brick walls with a sledge hammer, sic) where he’d be picked up with some other asylum seekers in the morning, they’d be waiting at the entrance next to the security guard.  They worked from 8AM till 6PM,  with no protective gear, and were paid 40€ for those ten hours.  Mr.X is an electro-mechanic engineer.

Ms A, is a young single mother, she has been waiting for a response to her case for 2 years.

Ms A has high hopes of working in a corporate environment or in a hospital environment. Her reaction to the announcement on the right to work is one of desperation. She says it is only normal that asylum seekers work on the black market in the full knowledge that they are being exploited, because they have no choice. And she believes the right to work has been set up just to tick a box wih the EU directives, but with the clear intention of making it impossible for anyone to access the labour market. Many women are trained in child care, health care, or would be happy working in domestic services, but they are not allowed to do so.

Mr Y needs to send money home for his sister who is seriously ill and needs constant care. Mr Y had to flee his country to save his own life. He now works repairing cars in a local garage where he says he is treated very badly. He is paid 20 to 25 € for every car he repairs, whether it takes 2 hours, 3 hours, or 3 days. He had high hopes for joining the legal labour market and wants to feel like he is contributing to the society that keeps him safe from persecution. Mr Y is a mechanic engineer. He went to university in his country  but was told that his Degree is not valid here and he needs to start all over again.

The government has made it virtually impossible for those seeking protection in this country to work during their extremely long wait. On the other hand it is endorsing the black market, putting lives at risk and encouraging exploiters.

Many more residents of Direct Provision centers have agreed to speak up. More podcasts are coming. Please help us spread the word.

A national protest is being organised in Dublin on February 8th.

Here is the podcast. https://immigrantinireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/right-to-work-part-one.mp3

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Looking at the children in African countries, we can see that there are still many challenges ahead. A lot of children are orphaned due to ongoing conflicts, diseases and displacement of people. Many have fled their homes and live in dire circumstances in refugee camps across Sub-Saharan Africa.

In Europe there are many refugees from African countries, many are fathers who had no choice but to flee, leaving their children and wives behind. The problem is, that if these fathers are not allowed to work they can’t send money home and this leaves the children without support. Schools are expensive in African countries, and if the father can’t help his children they just can’t go to school, and may end up in child labour. We should not close our eyes to this. A country like Ireland who doesn’t allow asylum seekers to work is also letting down and trampling on the rights of children who stayed behind in Africa.

We made this podcast to mark the 2017 International Day of the Child. We interviewed Leonie, a mother form South Africa,  Frank, 19, who had to flee Zimbabwe after protesting in support of Evan Mawarire of the This Flag Movement.

In their interviews we can hear how education is always mentioned. Children who have no education become aimless, don’t go to school, end up using drugs and perpetuating the problem for their own children.

Have a listen, and please share.

Ibrahim is a Syrian refugee, he escaped his country in 2012, and has now been living in Ireland for 5 months.

Ibrahim is preparing for a one act play in ‘No Borders’, a series of plays, poetry and musical acts in support of Island to Island, a charity run by Carmel Nic Airt, on Lesbos, in Greece.

Ibrahim was 14 and had a good life in Syria, when suddenly, he lost everything. His house, his school, many of his friends. Without knowing why, he became a Syrian refugee. One of the millions of displaced people.

Bewildered by all the viloence, he escaped Syria with his mum, dad and brother to Lebanon, where he worked for 18 hours a day in several places in order to feed himself and his parents. Life as a Syrian refugee in Lebanon proved too hard to bear for him, that’s why he decided to leave for Europe.

His brother is still in Lebanon. His sister lives in Lybia. Ibrahim has not seen her for the past 6 years.

‘All we want is peace’ he says. ‘We don’t come for your food, we don’t come for your money. we just want to be safe and find some peace.’

Ibrahim has met many good people, but also those who are scared of him, because he is a Syrian refugee and people have often been mis informed by social media. He would like people to come and talk to him, get to know himself and his family.

In Ireland, Ibrahim has met John Hayes, the director of  ‘No Borders’,  and he has agreed to tell his story in a one act play. Ibrahim would like to become an actor.

He hopes Syria will find peace soon, and is determined to return home to rebuild his country.

Listen to his story here:

Tinyiko Chauke started writing a blog, African Stories. I invited him to the studio to talk about this. I have known Tinyiko for a while now and I know he is a passionate follower of all things politics and a proud African.

I also know that since his arrival here in Ireland 2 years ago, Tinyiko has adopted a few European traits, like drinking cappuccinos, eating mushrooms, going out late and sleeping late. We have lots of discussions about politics or just about Europeans and their way of living, and I am really looking forward to reading his blog, because I know it will be great.

During the interview he told me the inspiration to write a blog came from meeting people from around the world and from listening to what these people thought about Africa; listening to what the media reports and looking at some of the perceptions people have about Africa.

Tinyiko wants to tell the African story from the perception of a man who was born and bred in Africa, he thinks it is necessary to change some misplaced perceptions that persist in Europe.

For example, some people think Africa is a country. Tinyiko has met people who when they hear he is from Pretoria ask if he knows John in Lagos… ( it takes less time to fly from Ireland to Lagos in Nigeria than it takes from Capetown to Lagos).

Africa has 53 countries, it is a very diverse continent with many different cultures. In South Africa alone there are 11 different languages, there are different racial groups and different tribes.

The European media often talks about Africa in one sentence with corruption and dictators. Tinyiko says that, some countries have indeed a very weak democracy  where leaders are not being held accountable for their actions and where the will of the people is being ignored. But it is unfair to paint the whole of Africa with the same brush. There are some African countries with very stable governments. South Africa has had democratic elections since 1994.

Corruption is a serious issue in Africa, but it is also a world wide problem. Europe loses up to 120 billion a year to corruption.

The problem in Africa is that corruption is so rampant, you even see it at the highest levels of government. You also see corruption happening in sensitive areas of government services, like the police. Corruption undermines the trust people have in political and economical institutions.

Through corruption we lose our health, we lose our freedom, sometimes even our lives. It has become like a malignous cancer that has spread through the body.

In Africa 30 to 50 billion dollars is lost to corruption per year.

The levels of corruption is terrifying in some places. There are countries where this can be openly discussed, but it becomes frightening in some countries, where corruption has become a way of life. In those countries, there is often no freedom of speech, so you cannot even say corruption exists there.

Corruption exists in Europe too, but the media doesn’t mention it. It is not so brazen, it is not as outspoken as in Africa.

Tackling this corruption problem in Africa will be very difficult. It has become part of the culture, people are raised with it. The best way is probably to educate people from a young age. Maybe the curriculum needs a subject like corruption, teaching children to understand that corruption leads countries to become failed states.

The people of Africa don’t realise that corruption exists also in Europe, the media does not report on that. But corruption in Europe is not as bad as it is in Africa.

Africa is a lot more developed than people think. For example, compared to South Africa, Ireland is very little developed, but some people here have asked Tinyiko if they have cars where he comes from or if they live in houses or still in huts. Of course there are still underdevoped areas in the country, but Africa has developed a lot over the last 20 years.

Of the 13 fastest growing economies in the world, six are in Africa. Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda are doing very well. Especially Rwanda is a remarkable success story, coming out of the 1994 genocide. Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, is now called ‘the Singapore of Africa’.

Clearly these are the good stories to tell about Africa, bearing in mind though that the gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider and wider. That is also happening in the West, but the advantage in Europe is that the social security system exists to help people in need. In some African countries, there is just not enough tax base to set up a social security system. More people stay at home than those going to work, so it is impossible for governments to roll out all these social structures.

Very little is known about African success stories, although France 24 is making a big effort with their reporting of good news from Africa.

Of course South Africa is the most advanced economy on the continent, but Tinyiko wants to highlight the smaller countries who do extremely well like Rwanda, Tanzania, Botswana, and Mozambique, which is going to be the next big success story, with the discovery of gas and the interest which investors are showing in this country.

It is important for Africa to unite. If you look in Europe, where the EU, with all its faults (and there are many), has created a unity. There have been no more wars since 1945, countries cooperate, and there is a much better understanding of people.

Tinyiko is convinced that Africa needs to do the same. For example, there are more Zimbabweans, more Nigerians in South Africa than in Europe, but he has met and talked to more of Nigerians in Ireland. His perception has changed, and he has realised that Africans are one people.

Technology is also very advanced in Africa. An example hereof is the banking system, the way you will get notified on your phone every time a transaction is done on your account. Africans do business with each other with phones.

Africa can learn from the European project. In Europe you see people mingling with each other, you can go to a pub where there may be up to 20 nationalities, all getting along fine.

Africans still have problems with nationalities, they don’t understand foreigners, they don’t look at foreigners as brothers, but as competitors for jobs, some men even say for women. Africans need to become more open, make an effort to get to know one another, this can be achieved through trade and through free movement of people.

Traveling more would also help. Tinyiko says he feels embarrassed to say he has never traveled to another country within Africa. This is one of the things he is determined to do when he returns. He wants to go to East Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, to West Africa to visit Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, any African country, to learn to understand people better. You never know a person until you visit his place.

Young people need to be educated about other countries and foreigners need to be integrated in the communities. Foreign and local people need to live together.

Tinyiko hopes to change perpectives of people in Africa as well. The blog is aimed at African people mainly, and the rest of the world to understand. he hopes he can touch the issue of xenophobia and tribalism.

Tinyiko remembers being shocked at the frst sight of homeless people, he was surprised to find that not everyone is rich in Europe, which is often portrayed as the land of milk and honey in Africa.

Tinyko’s blog can be found here.

here is the podcast:

Christian is from Congo-Brazaville,he has been asylum seeker in Ireland since 2012. Lucky is a South African, he was living in direct provision for the last 4 years and has now been moved to Dublin.

I interviewed them during me The New Rebels show on Irish Radio International, with Irish elections in mind and also the World social work day.

It ended up being a very interesting discussion which ended up filling the whole programme, and it could easily have filled 2 programmes.

We have repeated it often. Direct provision is mentally killing people, and especially children, who often end up staying 5 to 10 years.

Once people get the papers to stay in the country they are left to go into the community without any help, They are often institutionalised and are finding it very tough. There is no help at all by social workers.

With the migrant crisis now in Europe, Ireland has taken in Syrians, some of whom stay in the same direct provision centres. What worries people like Christian and Lucky is that these refugees stay around 6 months before they get their refugee status, but Christian, Lucky and other Africans are still waiting, without any news on what to expect.

According to them, the only possible way forward with direct provision is to end it. Give people the right to work, they want to contribute to society, they certainly don’t want to rely on social security, as many peolpe seem to think.

The New Rebels is a programme on Irish Radio International , presented by myself and co-produced by Tony Statery

Listen to the interview here.

I first interviewed Taoufik in 2013 for Irish Radio International on the market in Bishopstown. Since then, Taoufik had a remarkable journey to success.

Taoufik is a Tunesian father of three who has been living in Ireland for the past 19 years. Since he came to Ireland, Taoufik worked for several different companies, but he had a dream. A dream for which he worked very hard. Taoufik lost his job in 2008, when the company he worked for closed down due to the recession.

He took a week’s break to reflect on how to move on. Taoufik had enough of working for someone else, he decided to start from  zero. ‘Zero is the brain, says Taoufik’ You have to start all over again, and use your brain to think and study, use your past experiences.

He contacted the local famer’s market. The organisor was very happy to let him give it a try. Taoufik used 30 € to buy meat, vegetables and pita breads. he used a garden table, a sunscreen and a barbeque grill from home and went to his first market to sell kebabs on June 26th 2008. At the end of the day, Taoufik had over 500€ in his pocket. He decided to get a license for his food business, and did all the necessary work to get the license. He started on one market and soon expanded to other markets with the help of the Dole office,who supported him. he bought proper equipment and thrived at the local markets. People started telling him he should think of an indoor business in 2011. With the help of the dole office and his own funds he did a course in setting up and running your own business  with QED and he took the plunge after that. he found a good location in Cork where he opened his restaurant, Sultan, of Lebanese and Morrocan cuisine. He had the support of his wife and his brothers. As in every African country, family ties are very strong in Tunesia. The whole family helped Taoufik to make his dream come true.

It was hard work, he still has his market stalls as well. Taoufik has now opened a sweet shop, with tea, spices, Turkish delights and Baklavas in the same premises as a previous Turkish delight shop in Mac Curtain st, Cork. The shop got great reviews on Facebook.

Now that he has two businesses, Taoufik wants to make some time for his wife and children.

He knows that his wife and brothers will always support him. The energy and support from his family helps him to keep going.

His next project is to give cooking classes of Lebanese, Morrocon and other international cuisines.

Taoufik is a true example of a migrant who made it. he says it is possible for anyone to make it. ‘Just think about what your strengths are and use them’.

Taoufik has opened up to the Irish society, he has purposely not restricted himself to the North African community.

He has brought some of the North African culture of generosity and welcoming people in the house over to Ireland.

He has no problems with xenophobia. If it does happen, he just ignores it. He thinks that if you respect yourself, people will respect you as well. Whatever you do at home, do it here. Show who you are, what your culture is like, and respect other people.

He spent half his life in Ireland, but still misses Tunesia.

Taoufik apologised for the tragedy that happened on the beach. He hopes people understand that the people of Tunesia are not  like that, they are a kind, welcoming people and they are deeply upset about what happened..

Pamela moved to Ireland with her husband in 2009. She has 3 sons, who are all grown up and stay in the USA.

The couple lives in the beautiful Union Hall in West-Cork, far away from cities and therefore also far away from the rat race. Union hall is surprisingly cosmopolitan. Most of pmaela’s local friends are blow-ins from Spain, France, Germany, Poland and The Netherlands.

Union Hall is the most beautiful spot in Ireland according to Pamela; shenever regretted making the move and expects to stay in Ireland.

When asked about Greece, the upbeat mood changes. Pamela’s birth family is Greek, they still live there and are suffering from the economic crisis and the tough austerity measures.

Greeks are a proud people, and the current wave of deaths and suicides in greeks as a direct result of poverty and the austerity measures is simply heart breaking.

And still the Greeks accept thousands of refugees every day, they are a loving, welcoming people and not at all xenophobic.

Tinyiko arrived in Ireland a year ago from  South Africa.

When Tinyiko arrived here it wasn’t easy for him. The cold weather came as a shock, he didn’t know anyone, he was homesick and became very ill as well.

A lot has changed since then, and his perceptions have changed as well.

First if all Tinyiko says that West-Cork, where he’s living now is one of the most beautiful places in the world. He loves the green landscapes, the rivers and the sea.

He also thinks the West-Cork farmers are extremely kind and helpful.

Tinyiko doesn’t think racism in Ireland and Europe is as bad as it is described by some Africans. He thinks that everyone has the right to choose their friends. Sometimes people just don’t click. That is normal, but if a white person doesn’t like a black person it is easily interpretted as racism, which is not necessarily true.

Of course racism exists in Ireland and Europe, he says. Just like it does in South Africa and everywhere else.

He thinks there is a much bigger problem with racial divide in the USA, but because he has never been in the US and only gets this information from the media and social networks, he prefers not to make a statement about that.

He also looks in a different way at his own country and Africa as a continent.

Tinyiko thinks Africa can learn a lot from  Europe, but Europe can also learn a lot from Africa.

Europe and Africa both have their own challenges. What Europe needs to learn is to tell the negative  stories as well as the positive ones. Europe is not the paradise a lot of Africans think it is. There is poverty in Europe as well. he thinks Europeans can learn from Africans not to live to work, but to work to live, because living to work only leads to a life of bills and debt.

Europe also needs to be open about the discrimination that is still happening there. He also thinks that social welfare can sometimes lead to there not being an incentive to work, because it seems that you can live well enough on social welfare, although of course he does agree that countries have to take care of the disadvantaged people.

Tinyiko is very impressed with Europe when it comes to Accountability, transparency and freedom of speech.

What Africans can and must learn from Europe is all about this accountability and transparency. Africa needs to root out corruption and needs to come up with policies that create investment and employment opportunities.

There needs to be more solidarity between African countries and Africa needs to empower its people. Easy movement within Africa needs to be made possible as well. But before this can be done other problems need to be solved; like for example the fact that some countries don’t have a database of their own citizens.

According to Tinyiko, immigration is a problem everywhere and it won’t go away. The world has become one global village because of technology. Therefore he thinks that Europe really needs to be very open about the problems it faces, this would help people to make more informed decisions.

It would be good if Europe would partner with Africa as equal partners and try and find solutions for the infrastructure problems, investment and employment creation, democracy and rule of law.

But first Africa has to deal with rule of law and democracy, before it can move on to economic empowerment.

It’s up to the African Union to tell their members that the autocracies are unacceptable. The african union must make it clear to leaders that they have to respect their citizens.

It’s a very unhealthy environment where three quarters of the continent’s leaders are dictators and where the democratic leaders are unable to say this is unacceptable. That is what destroys the solidarity that should be there between nations.,

Right now African countries are just too different with democracy practices in a few countries where their neighbouring countries don’t uphold democratic values.

Africans need to stop hiding behind rhetorics and excuses. They won’t solve the issues.

On the issue of xenophobia, Tinyiko is quite clear. he says there is no xenophobia in Africa. There are tensions that have built up due to the high number of illegal immigrants in the country. Crime has risen, the drug trade that never existed  is now everywhere, He blames the South African government for failing to control illegal immigration, which is the cause of the many faceless people in the country. Nobody knows who these people are, and if they commit a crime they can’t be traced.

He doesn’t know the exact number of illegal immigrants but believes they run in the millions.

Listen to Tinyiko Chauke here.

Phindile is a young South African woman who arrived in Ireland in 2014. She is an asylum seeker. Phindile has a little son, aged nearly 2 who is the son of a non-South African man. He was rejected by her family because his father is not a South African native. Phindile feared xenophobia and decided it would be safer for her son to leave South Africa.

She has been staying in the Direct Provision centre in Clonakilty since her arrival and doesn’t think the authorities have even started looking at her case yet.

She finds life in the Direct Provision system very difficult and tries to leave the centre as often as possible.

During the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa Phindile was worried about the reactions of the other Africans in the centre who would come to her blaming all South Africans for xenophobia while she was not involved in it.

While living in Johannesburg, Phindile studied marketing and had her own business, she had a good life and she stresses that she is not interested in social welfare, and thinks the South African government provides better social care . Education and health care are completely free, and the Reconstruction and Development Programme was started to give every South African over 18 years a plot of land and even a house for those in need.

Life became too difficult for Phindile and she hopes to start her new life in Ireland soon. As so many asylum seekers, Phindile is eager to start working, she also wants to educate the children of South African families about their culture. Phindile is a keen singer, she told me how important music and singing is in her homeland and how she finds it difficult to get used to the masses here in the catholic church. In SA, a catholic mass can last up to three hours because of all the singing, it is difficult to get used to the brief 45 minutes here and the lack of music in the church.

Phindili speaks several languages but her mother tongue is Sotho. She speaks English with her son, but will teach him Sotho as well.

Because of the many children in the DP, Phindile’s son is already speaking some Polish, which she finds quite funny.

Here is the podcast.