Workers Solidarity Movement

In a very welcome development Asylum Seekers have come together to build an independent, self-organised nationwide asylum seeker movement in Ireland. The  new group is called MASI - Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland and stands for Freedom, Dignity & Justice for Asylum Seekers!

RTE were full of news this morning about how Obama's new migration initiative might improve the lives of the huge numbers of people from Ireland illegally in the US. It's great to see the people trapped in detention centres in Ireland step up their resistance to our cruel regime.

They say;
Over the last months, asylum seekers in Ireland have been protesting in direct provision centres, rallying on marches, and engaging in many different direct actions across the country to bring an end to the inhumanity of direct provision and the asylum system. Asylum seekers from different centres have been organising for ourselves through our protests, and now we want to build a nation-wide independent asylum seeker movement to make sure that the voices of asylum seekers are heard.

There are discussions going on right now about our fate. We believe that for any discussion of the fate of asylum seekers to be called a success we need our voices heard as for too long we have been silenced. We asylum seekers and our families are the ones who have suffered due to this system, and we asylum seekers are the only ones who can send home this message to the Irish Government:

End Direct Provision
Right to Work
Right to Third Level Education
Residency For All
End Deportation

If we do not take action in all that is happening in our lives, nothing will happen. More and more people need to find courage and challenge the system using all avenues at our disposal.

Let us all sing one song in one voice and make as much noise as we can to disrupt any effort that is designed to keep or to reform this inhumane system. Let us believe in our own abilities and capabilities in fighting together and bury our differences to fight for a common goal. We owe it to our children to get into this battle and say enough is enough.

Follow MASI on Facebook

WORDS: Andrew Flood (Follow Andrew on Twitter )