The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
THE Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District has called for radical changes to allow people seeking international protection status in Ireland to be allowed to work. Councillor Lillian Barr, who became the first public representative to be afforded a civic reception by a municipal district in Clare, said people seeking asylum in Northern Ireland are expected to live on £38 a month and are not allowed to work. A lot of services may not be accessible to people seeking asylum until they are successful with their asylum application, which she believes needs to be tackled. “The housing crisis is affecting everyone. If people seeking asylum were allowed to work they could pay rent and we could build more houses. The negative attitudes of racism and hate crimes is dividing our community. We need to focus on the contribution that migrants make when they come to the community,” she said. Asked about criminal damage caused to centres earmarked for international …
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