A UGANDAN WOMAN in her sixties was left in bed at a Galway asylum seeker hostel for months while refusing food, Metro Éireann understands.
A source in Galway’s refugee community said the woman was believed to have applied for asylum around five years ago, and lived in a room at the Eglinton Hostel with three other people.
She is believed to have embarked on a 40-day fast for religious reasons – “Like Jesus,” she is said to have explained – and was bed-bound, leading to a rancid smell in the vicinity.
For reasons unclear, the woman continued refusing food after the fast was completed, and some residents began to worry she was dead in her bed, said the source.
The woman was “tired” of the refugee process, added the source, and apparently “wanted to die”. It is believed the woman spent four months refusing food, and did get medical attention during this time. She has recently been moved from the hostel.
At short notice before press time, the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) – which is under the aegis of the Department of Justice and oversees the accommodation of asylum seekers – had been contacted for comment.
A Justice spokesperson said: “It in not the policy of the RIA to comment on individual cases and, particularly in respect of this case, it is imperative that the RIA respects the rights of this individual to privacy.
“The RIA can however confirm that no resident of the centre is or has been on hunger strike.”
