A Serbian immigrant and former asylum seeker has made a DVD about the closing of the hostel for asylum seekers in Co Mayo.
Vukasin Nedeljkovic, 35, launched The Disappearance of the Railway Hostel earlier this month at the town hall theatre in Kiltimagh, Co Mayo. About 50 people attended the showing of the feature-length DVD, which deals with the experiences of asylum seekers and local residents in the rural town.
The direct provision hostel in Kiltimagh was one of more than 50 Government-funded accommodation centres around the country that house nearly 7,000 asylum seekers, some of whom live in these centres for years while awaiting decisions regarding their legal status.
During that time, they are not allowed to work or enter third-level education, and receive an allowance of only €19.10 per week.
Nedeljkovic said the hostel in Kiltimagh opened in 2000 with accommodation for about 60 people, and is the first such hostel to be closed.
An artist who practised photography in Belgrade, Nedeljkovic said he interviewed 15 people in the Kiltimagh community who work with asylum seekers – gardaí, family support workers, doctors and artists – and filmed their reflections about their experiences.
“The people from the town really embraced the DVD,” said Nedeljkovic. “As the asylum seekers live here for years, they become a part of the history of the town. This DVD documents one period of time, a relevant period.
“As a former asylum seeker, [for me] it’s a voice that needs to be heard. I’m trying as an artist to raise issues about asylum seekers through my art.”
Before he was granted leave to remain in Ireland, Nedeljkovic said he lived for nearly three years in a centre in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, which houses more than 300 asylum seekers.
“It was horrific,” he recalled, highlighting the tensions caused by housing “people from all over the world, different cultures, different religions” in such a small facility.
Nedeljkovic underlined the difficulty of coping with living in the centres, having to queue for everything from food to social work services and nursing care. He also described the lack of recreational facilities, and that children don’t have any place to play.
The Serbian added that many asylum seekers he has known have been treated for anxiety, depression, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress issues.
“People are basically doing nothing and becoming institutionalized,” he said. “We can talk about human rights in Darfur, in Africa, but human rights issues are present in Ireland at the moment.”
Nedeljkovic said the Government spends about €80m every year on direct provision “but that could be easily changed if asylum seekers were allowed to work, pay taxes and find their own accommodation” after a grace period.
A report released in February by the Free Legal Advice Centres concluded that the direct provision system for asylum seekers is deeply flawed and, in particular, can have a “devastating effect” on children and teens.
The report pointed out that although the centres were built to house asylum seekers for no more than six months, more than half of the centres’ residents have lived in the facilities for more than two years.
