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To: Mayor of Kilkenny Andrew McGuinness

Ask the Mayor of Kilkenny to Address Misinformation In Relation To People Seeking Refuge

We, the people of Kilkenny want Mayor Andrew McGuinness to address the misinformation in relation to people seeking refuge in Kilkenny. 

The Mayor of South Dublin County Council  created a information campaign to directly address misinformation including a mythbusting leaflet. We want the Mayor of Kilkenny to do the same. 


Why is this important?

People seeking refuge make up an important part of society, Irish people have flocked all over the world for generations and we cannot pull the ladder up behind us now that we are a thriving economy. 

We want Kilkenny to be a safe and welcoming place for all residents. 

We want Mayor Andrew McGuinness to very clearly state the differences between emergency accommodation for homeless people and the temporary accommodation provided during the asylum application process. 

An asylum seeker is a person who has left their country and is seeking protection from persecution and serious human rights violations in another country, but who hasn’t yet been legally recognized as a refugee and is waiting to receive a decision on their asylum claim. Seeking asylum is a human right. This means everyone should be allowed to enter another country to seek asylum. - Amnesty International

Emergency accommodation for homeless people is usually provided by County Councils and/or housing bodies. People seeking asylum are not taking a bed away from anyone and usually being accommodated in basic rooms like hotel rooms or previously empty buildings often without access to cooking or laundry facilities.

People seeking asylum are not legally permitted to work during the asylum claim unless they have not recieved a first decision on their application for 6 months. They may recieve an expense allowance which is means tested. The rate for an adult is €38.80 per week (€5.54 per day) and are not entitled to recieve child benefit for their children. 

People seeking refuge did not cause the housing crisis. A lack of investment in social housing and the overinflation of rental properties has. The reliance on private landlords through schemes like HAP have only encouraged this. 

We have had a lack of investment in our health services for many years, not accepting new residents will not address this situation. 

Please sign and share and let's make Kilkenny a safe and welcoming society again. 



Kilkenny, Ireland

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Updates

2024-07-29 20:38:52 +0100

50 signatures reached

2024-07-29 18:00:32 +0100

25 signatures reached

2024-07-26 20:21:19 +0100

10 signatures reached