Concerns have been raised after a number of asylum seekers who were involved in a serious incident in Killarney on New Year’s Day have been moved to Laois.
Sinn Fein Councillor Aidan Mullins says that three or four people who are believed to be from Georgia have been moved into the East End Hotel in Portarlington.
Councillor Mullins says the transfer was done without any consultation and this, he says, has left many people in the town ‘extremely concerned’.
According to Councillor Mullins, the people who have been transferred to Laois were involved in a stabbing incident and have been before the court.
He said: “Following a serious public order incident in which a number of men were stabbed at the Hotel Killarney direct provision centre on January 1, involving up to 20 men, eight men appeared in Killarney District Court.
“Four are from Georgia and 4 are from Algeria.
“Seven men were granted bail and the Georgian men were then transferred out of Killarney and in to Portarlington.
“As usual no consultation took place with the local community.”
Councillor Mullins says he has serious concerns about this and pointed towards legislation to support his point.
He said: “The International Protection Act 2015 is our key piece of Legislation covering our obligations regarding claims for asylum.
“This Act, among other things, sets out the circumstances under which an application for International Protection is inadmissible and this includes where the person arrived here from a safe country of origin for which there is a designated list.
“Georgia is on that list and is deemed to be a safe country of origin and so it is clear from the 2015 Act that these applications for asylum should be declared inadmissible.
“So why is our Government not implementing this legislation for applications from Georgia which is a designated safe country and it’s pretty self evident that these are economic migrants?”
Councillor Mullins says this has nothing to do with racism and believes the men in question should be deported.
He said: “My honest opinion? Put them on the next plane home.”
LaoisToday has contacted the Department of Justice for comment on the matter and is awaiting a response.
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