International Garden
Present day Ireland is a multicultural society – 12-20% of the total population is comprised of non-nationals (CSO, 2022). This includes vulnerable individuals seeking International Protection, often living in Direct Provision Centres (DPs) spread across the country. These centres currently accommodate more than 30 000 people – the majority of which live in emergency accommodation centres. Around 5000 are children.
In Cork Country there are approximately 250 families and 320 children living across six DP centres.
These families struggle to integrate into Irish society, due to barriers such as a lack of target supports, location of the DP centres (some of which are in very remote areas), financial constraints (the families are on €38 a week allowance), prejudice and general stigma associated with living in DPs, and migration related vulnerabilities/trauma, among others. This was exacerbated by COVID 19 lockdowns and restrictions, as the lack of own door accommodation made it difficult, if not impossible, to social distance or adhere to other prescribed protocols. DPs were among the HSE recognized vulnerability pockets that registered high amounts of covid cases, with very lacking isolation or management protocols.
This shows that there are needs to be addressed in this population – which requires designing a response framework; a coordinated approach that takes into consideration the risks and strengths embedded in their migrant, racial, ethnic, and cultural positions, as well as the structures that frame their lives in DPs. This framework should also create an enabling environment for the families to rebuild their agency, and direct/co-direct the interventions that are relevant and acceptable to them.
These interventions therefore need to be framed within a human rights perspective, prioritizing human dignity and value, as opposed to a charity model.
Our current project, the International Garden, is premised on creating a ‘safe space’ at Ardfoyle, Ballintemple, where families living in DPs that we work with at Nano Nagle Place, can grow food from their own countries in solidarity with local community groups.
The Aim
The aim is to provide asylum seekers/refugees/migrants in general an opportunity to be involved in gardening work in cooperation with local members of the community towards supporting their wellbeing and integration into society. The objective is to work towards creating a network of gardens in close proximity to the DPs in Cork, that are independently run but in consultancy with a committee from this group. The model becomes the connecting tool within these network of communities and across other ethnic minority groups involved in community garden.