Strengthening Supports for Families Living in International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) in Ireland.

Abstract

Background: Europe is experiencing an unprecedented influx of refugees and currently in Ireland there are 32,623 people living in International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) accommodation centres (DCEDIY 2024a). Recent statistics from IPAS as of December 2024, reveal the presence of 49 IPAS centres across the country, alongside 267 emergency accommodation centres, one national reception centre, one transit hub and five centres with tented accommodation. When people come to Ireland to seek international protection the Government of Ireland operates a ‘one size fits all’ direct provision system and although vulnerability assessments are conducted few distinctions are made between applicants (Coakley and MacEinri 2022). Existing reports highlight the unique challenges experienced by refugee children and their families (Ní Raghallaigh, Smith and Scholtz 2019) and this is understandable since the needs of families with children differ significantly to the needs of individual or coupled adults. Although supports do exist for families in IPAS, there is a lack of knowledge in relation to what is working well for families in IPAS, what training and support is provided for staff working with families in IPAS and what specifically are the needs of families living in IPAS in terms of parenting support, integration, prevention and early intervention and family support. Methods: The chosen methodology for this research was case study research, a particularly useful enquiry method when the boundaries between the case and context are not entirely clear. In this research ‘the case’ is the family living in IPAS in Ireland and ‘the context’ is the IPAS centre where the family lives. Within case study research it is the designated ‘units of analysis’ that form the actual case. The main units of analysis gathered for this case study research were family focus group interviews, interviews with children, interviews with stakeholders, interviews with staff, fieldnotes and archival records. All data collected was managed and analysed with the use of NVivo™ computerised qualitative data analysis software. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse data. Ethical approval was sought and secured prior to recruitment and data collection. Key Findings: The findings from this research indicate that the greatest concern for families living in IPAS in Ireland is being able to keep their children safe and healthy. Although families are appreciative to the Irish State for accommodating them and for the supports that are available to them, they experience challenges that are unique to families with children and would welcome more support and strategies in this respect. Findings from this study showcase the reality of living in the IPAS system as a family and the difficulties experienced by families when co-ordinated responses are not in place or available. When families come to Ireland they often struggle to ‘fit in’ to their new surroundings and this can be intensified by past trauma. Findings indicate that children living in IPAS do not have access to play facilities suitable for their age or developmental level and this is a significant source of concern for children. The role of school and the exceptionally positive part it plays in the life of the child and family in IPAS has been highlighted by this research. For children and families living in the IPAS system having access to school and going to school provides children with the opportunity to play, learn, integrate, and relax. It also provides parents with a sense of reassurance as their children have access to education, play and integration with other children which all promotes child growth and development. Since the research was completed, a general election has taken place and the new Programme for Government states that responsibility for International Protection Accommodation and Integration will move from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) to the new Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.1 As such they have responsibility for the recommendations related to IPAS.