Abstract
‘Counting the Cost: Barriers to Employment after Direct Provision’ examines what happens after people have moved on from the Direct Provision system in Ireland. This research explores what happens to people after they receive their papers with a particular focus on their employment situation.
Between February and April 2014 the Irish Refugee Council interviewed 20 people living across Ireland about their experiences of becoming self-sufficient after they transitioned from life in the Direct Provision system to one outside it. The people involved were asked about their backgrounds prior to coming to Ireland, their experiences in Direct Provision, and about their attempts to prepare for, and find work afterwards.
Through the personal accounts of those interviewed, the report demonstrates a strong commitment and determination to learn and work in order to build a better future and provide for both themselves and their families. All interviewees’ spoke about their experiences in Direct Provision and the impact it had on them and the people around them. The accounts demonstrate the effects of years spent removed from society: long gaps in employment and education history; a lack of supports and networks once outside of Direct Provision; the wasted skills and years lost in limbo, but these accounts also begin to show us the long term cost to Irish society.
