A new survey of people living in Direct Provision has found that just over half of respondents said they did not feel safe where they are living during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The study, carried out by the Irish Refugee Council, also reports that 50% were unable to socially distance from others. There are around 7,700 people in Direct Provision, and 418 of them took part in the survey.
According to the survey, 42% of respondents shared a room with a person who was not a member of their family. More than 85% also said that the weekly expenses allowance was not enough to live on.
Nearly a fifth of respondents who were working had lost their employment due to the crisis. The Chief Executive of the Irish Refugee Council, Nick Henderson, said