Breaking the Silence - Speaking the Truth

SPIRASI Press Release on Afghan Hunger Strike - 2006

In the wake of the recent hunger strike by Afghan asylum seekers at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, therapists at the Centre for the Care of Survivors of Torture at SPIRASI, wish to comment on the psycho emotional aspects of these events. A client contacted us soon after his participation in the hunger strike and asked us to put the record straight from his perspective. He was relieved to have Spirasi as a safe and secure place to access where his “truth could be heard in the aftermath of the storm”. The truth to which this young man was referring includes the message that “we came out of the cathedral because we wanted only a peaceful demonstration from the beginning and then it all got worse because we learned that outside we were perceived as criminals ready to harm or cause evil deeds”.

During the hunger strike some media reports painted all these individuals as potential terrorists, criminals and demons. Other media reports claimed to be citing official sources which were damaging to the integrity of the asylum seekers and possibly dangerous to them, and to their relatives in Afghanistan (Sunday Independent, page 1, May 21^st, 2006). If true, such disclosures of information that is confidential to individual asylum applications, is unlawful.

Our therapist who visited clients of SPIRASI within the Cathedral reflected that there was a sense of desperation, hopelessness, vulnerability and psychological pain among the individuals of this group. This desperation arises from the cumulative burden of insecurity in their home country, displacement, migration, and the uncertainty of their present situation in Ireland. Regardless of whether their protest was justified or not, the manner in which this crisis was dealt intensified these feelings of desperation. Of particular concern were reports that access by the hunger strikers to medical support was restricted and their access to psychological care was prevented on Friday 19^th May, which may have put lives at risk.

These circumstances have highlighted important issues that merit further consideration, and from which lessons should be learned:

• In addition to issues around maintaining the integrity of the asylum process, protocols are needed for safeguarding the rights of the individuals within the process including confidentiality and the safety of individuals and their relatives.
• Appropriate medical and psychological care should always be provided in such difficult situations.

What happens now to these 41 Afghan individuals who have been collectively demonised and how can this demonisation and criminalisation be reversed? Have the relevant authorities put a support system in place to minimise the increased psychological risks and the vulnerability not only of these men, but also of other asylum seekers in Ireland?

Regrettably, this protest has been used by some to promote divisive and negative views of asylum seekers.