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28th July 1999
`Exceptional'.. or unacceptable
Sinn Fein Councillor Sean Crowe has welcomed the decision by the government to allow Asylum Seekers the right to work, but also states that these measures fall short of any real solution as it excludes those who have entered the country in the past twelve months.
Cllr Crowe said:
``Although I welcome the long over waited decision to allow asylum seekers to work I feel it falls short of any real solution, as we are still left with an increasing number who are left on the waiting list for asylum status. These measures also exclude those who have entered the country in this last twelve months.''
``Asylum seekers are in a form of legal limbo. They are not allowed to work and are blamed for being a burden on the Social Welfare system. We cannot let refugees become scapegoats for problems not of their own making.''
``What's so much more distressing is the fact that many of the people seeking asylum have the necessary skills to qualify for work at different professional levels but have once again been left out in the cold by the government. And with Irish companies still advertising for employees abroad the government needs to review their so-called `exceptionary' measures.''ENDS.
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