Up to four injured in stabbing at Limerick direct provision centre
By David Raleigh
Up to four men have been injured in a stabbing incident at a direct provision centre in Limerick City.
The men, who are said to come from African countries, are believed to have sustained minor stab wounds.
One resident claimed one of those injured was beaten with a cricket bat during a row which broke out at the facility shortly before 2pm.
The men were treated for minor stab wounds by paramedics at the scene.
A Garda source said: "There was a dispute. Around three or four people suffered minor injuries."
"Some weapon was recovered at the scene. It's possibly a scissors or a knife. Were awaiting confirmation on that."
Some residents at the asylum seeker accommodation unit on Glentworth Street said they were living in rooms at the facility for long periods of time with some claiming they were there for between eight and 10 years.
One resident said: "We really need to be separated. This is the problem; if you keep people in a room for long periods of time, it will end like this."
He said: "It was a row between roommates. Someone was stabbed, someone was beaten with a bat. Four people were injured.
"It is not the first time. Actually, my roommate fought also with me. A lot of things have been happening."
The man reiterated what many in the asylum process have been highlighting - that conditions for asylum seekers are not fit for their longterm accommodation needs.
"Some look for transfers, and then you'll probably be transferred to somewhere you don't want to go, or you don't get transferred at all," the resident said.
"There's nobody listening to us," the man claimed. "This is going to cause a serious problem. People rooming with people for long periods of time who are from differing countries and who have different cultures."
The man added: "My life is in danger in this place. I'm not even safe in this place, because anything can happen."
He added that the mental health of asylum seekers has been badly affected by their experiences in direct provision.
"People have been in these (types of) places for up to 10 years. They're always depressed. They are always in a state where any slight mistake can get anyone provoked."
