Thousands turn out in Dublin to call for an end to Direct Provision
Some of the nearly 5,000 people who live in direct provision centres across the country were in attendance, along with over 30 campaign groups.
They want the right to work, equal access to third level education and equal rights to social welfare.
Asylum seekers in Direct Provision are not allowed to work and are given €22 a week to live.
They say asylum seekers living in the centres are like second or third class citizens.
#enddirectprovision #enddp pic.twitter.com/NjZ3FBEARW
— M Ní Raghallaigh (@MuireannNiR) November 18, 2017
Lucky Khambule from the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland is calling for two things in particular.
"The basic one is the right to work and also education," Mr Khambule explains.
"Education is key because without education you cannot be able to do anything."
— MASI - Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (@masi_asylum) November 18, 2017
In May this year, the Supreme Court ruled that the ban on asylum seekers seeking employment is in principle "unconstitutional".
Shane O’Curry, Director of the European Network Against Racism Ireland says, "We’re talking about human beings who have fled poverty, deprivation, war, torture, persecution and various forms of oppression who come here and are sitting in this limbo, not being able to live as human beings."
