Support people in the international protection process to become full members of Irish society
SSGT believes a more humane asylum system is needed in Ireland with more effective community-led approaches to the integration of vulnerable migrants such as those in the international protection process. There should be more support and opportunities for the voice of protection applicants to be heard, particularly in issues which affect them.
SSGT has two strands of work in this area:
Supporting People in the International Protection Process
In early 2024, in light of a rapidly changing landscape for people in international protection, SSGT produced a Current Context Paper based on data collected through desk research, official International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) statistics, conversations and meetings with migrant support organisations, and through the testimony given in the reports received from 42 beneficiaries of our 2023 Christmas Voucher Fund.
From this data, four key areas emerged as being of most concern to the ongoing work of migrant support organisations and to the integration of people seeking asylum in Ireland. These were: the rise of the far right and growth of anti-migrant sentiment countrywide; the accommodation crisis; a lack of practical supports such as language classes, childcare and transport that lead to barriers to integration; and the insufficient resourcing of support organisations to cope with increased demand.
The paper was used to shape and inform a new grant round under the programme for 2024 that focussed on supporting groups with a proven track record of advocacy work in relation to issues affecting people in international protection in order to make time and space for strategic thinking, with a view to addressing one or more of the issues above, through strategic advocacy.
Details of groups funded through the programme in 2024 and our multi-annual grantees from 2023 can be found here.
There will be no open call for funding applications to this programme in 2025 but we invite groups who are working strategically towards one or more of the intended outcomes below and who are seeking funding for that work to contact our Grants and Development Manager Sara Stokes at sara@ssgt.ie.
Intended Outcomes for the Programme
• Outcome 1: Support change-making work that aims to improve conditions for people living in IP accommodation (e.g., better standards/ management/ living conditions/ exit strategies that are supported by the State for people with status to transition away from direct provision)
• Outcome 2: Contribute to work that has a strategic and long-term impact in the context of a growing and increasingly aggressive anti-migrant movement
• Outcome 3: Contribute to advocacy and campaigning that drives the recommendations of the White Paper on Ending Direct Provision
• Outcome 4: Support groups working strategically on migrant issues to develop and enhance their advocacy capacity through the provision of additional resources and access to networks
• Outcome 5: Strengthen the voice of people in International Protection in decisions which affect them, in the context of national decision-making structures and processes.
Work should focus on strategic advocacy which will contribute to the creation of a more humane asylum process. The inclusion of people with direct experience of the IP process in the design and delivery of activities is essential. Groups with a regional remit may apply where they are working strategically on policy issues that impact people in IP nationally. The programme will support work in Ireland and in Northern Ireland.
Community Sponsorship Grant Programme
SSGT works with the Regional Support Organisations across the island to support registered Community Sponsorship groups. programme. If you are an established Community Sponsorship Group that requires additional support, please contact your designated RSO officer for further information about the Programme.
Previous reports and programmes
Between 2014 and 2023, SSGT had two grant programmes focused on people living in direct provision centres.
The first programme (2014-2019) funded grassroots groups for the costs of activities for children to participate in sporting, recreational and cultural activities with their peers in their local community. An evaluation of that programme, Healing the wound of isolation: letting children be children, was carried out in 2019 and can be downloaded here.
The second 3-year learning programme (2016-2019) supported asylum seekers who had obtained refugee status to make the transition to independent living within their local community. The final report of the 3-year evaluation, Supporting Transition from Direct Provision is here.
The third programme, Stand Up, Speak Out (2020-2022), took a broader approach to supporting positive change for people living in direct provision. It focused on community organising, supporting participation of asylum seekers in their community, and inclusion of their voices in issues which affect them. Grants were made to five organisations and the final programme report (2023) can be found here.
Funders: These programmes are funded by a family foundation advised by Porticus, the Mercy Sisters and the Daughters of the Cross of Liege investment.