Direct Provision was introduced in 2000 to house asylum seekers for a short period of time. In reality, asylum seekers are kept in DP centres for years on end and in inhumane conditions. Residents are stripped of autonomy, and unable to work or access support services. Between 15th and 18th of February this year, the Immigrant Council of Ireland virtually held their National Integration Conference, with various speakers covering the replacement of DP. Minister Roderic O’Gorman was the keynote speaker and spoke about the White Paper – the government’s approach to replacing DP. Panellists Donnah Sibanda Vuma, Jennifer Campbell Okeke, Reuben Hambakachere and Owodunni Ola Mustapha had lived in DP and spoke about the issues they faced, including the traumatic impact on their mental health, the poverty they experienced and the lack of aid provided.
All panellists stressed the need for better strategies and highlighted asylum seekers’ need for access to legal aid, information on how to navigate their application process, and the right to work. One panellist stated that since the system strips you of independence and power, you cease to be able to provide for your family and cannot work. To help asylum seekers navigate integrating into society while safeguarding their culture and identity, panellists cited the need for agency and autonomy to be restored to them; being afforded the right to cook for themselves was among the ways to do this.
Currently, Direct Provision residents are given an allowance of €38.80 per week which effectively means that they live in state sanctioned poverty, cannot choose their food and are served from a canteen. This is problematic given the cultural and dietary requirements of those living in the centres is varied because they come from many different countries. To not have the choice or possibility to eat in accordance with their own culture removes the element of comfort we attach to food. Bulelani Mfaco, an activist with MASI (Movement of Asylum Seekers Ireland) reflected on this issue in a post on their website, describing Christmas dinner in DP. Not only was it cold and served from a canteen, but he saw it as emblematic of how Ireland treats asylum seekers, making them feel unwelcome and unable to preserve their identity within the system.
A larger allowance would allow residents greater scope for cooking for themselves and their families. This would restore some comfort in otherwise turbulent environments. Our Table, founded by Malawian activist and former asylum seeker Ellie Kisyombe, aims to highlight the cruelty of DP and to provide a space for training and work experience for ex-residents. Cooking for Freedom was formed by asylum seekers in DP campaigning for the right to cook for themselves. Also noteworthy is the work of the Irish Refugee Council on Direct Provision and the report that NASC published on Food Experience of Asylum Seekers in DP. Listening to the voices of Melatu Uche Okorie who wrote This Hostel Life, about experiences in Direct Provision, and Owodunni Ola Mustapha who has written articles about her life in Direct Provision are among ways we should learn about the situation and understand the need to improve the lives of residents.
When we cook, we don’t cook just to eat, but as a means of escapism and comfort. Focusing on how to make focaccia from scratch, which many, myself included, attempted during the lockdown, distracts from boredom and relieves worries for however much time is taken to prepare and eat the food. Furthermore, food carries with it so much more than its nutritional value. It is a vessel for memories, emotions, communal interaction, and cultural expression. It can provide warmth and safety at times when nothing else can. We are so used to being able to cook and use this activity for recreational or emotional purposes, that we might not even notice its benefits, but we should remember not everyone has this luxury.
Asylum seekers were hit worst of all by the pandemic, since they did not have the privilege of isolating or being able to enjoy some aspects of staying at home, like cooking. If the Government is looking to make immediate changes, then giving Direct Provision residents more funds to be able to cook for themselves is not just a straightforward option; it’s a basic human right. Being able to cook the food you love is something we all probably take for granted. The control and autonomy of making a meal, combined with the connotations of culture and belonging which are attached to dishes we love could serve as a means of empowerment, and could be implemented now to improve the lives of asylum seekers in the DP system.
