Introduction – New Horizon Athlone

About this Information

This database provides information for people in the Irish Asylum system who find themselves in Athlone in the Irish Midlands.

The asylum system is difficult and complex and may change from time to time. The information given in this document is correct at the time of writing but we recommend that you contact lawyers and advice services to find out if the information given is still valid. A list of legal and advice services is given in the appendix to this document.

Important

Information given in this document or by a New Horizon volunteer is not legal advice. If you need legal advice it is important to consult a lawyer.

If you notice content which is incorrect, misleading or inaccurate in this database please let us know at wiki@newhorizonathlone.org .

Paper versions of this database are printed as needed.

FAQ’s

We are a front line refugee support group mainly working on the Lissywollen Direct Provision site in Athlone. Our focus is on providing information and help to the 300 (on average) residents living there.

We also work on the Temple Direct Provision site in Horseleap, Moate.

Everyone in the DP sites in Athlone and Temple is what is described as a ‘Convention’ refugee. People who have arrived in Ireland under a United Nations resettlement program are known as ‘Programme’ refugees.

Convention refugees are people who have made their own way to Ireland and have applied for recognition of refugee status when they arrive.

Various official and unofficial routes and methods are used to travel to Ireland. These change continually, depending on weather conditions and enforcement levels at crossings.

On arrival people are normally housed for a few weeks in Baleskin, near Dublin airport. They are then dispersed to various direct provision centres around the country.

People can get protection if they meet the conditions set out in The United Nations Convention on Protection of Refugees.

See Definition of a Refugee