Social Democrats candidate Ellie Kisyombe admits she failed her asylum claim and has been appealing (Ireland)
Social Democrats candidate Ellie Kisyombe who is running in the upcoming council elections in Dublin city has admitted to Matt Cooper that she has failed her asylum claim at least once but has been appealing the decision, as the media continues to promote her campaign to be elected as councillor.
Approximately 10% of all asylum claims have been granted in Ireland up until 2017 but according to the ESRI, 80% of deportation orders on failed asylum seekers are never implemented. When the IPO (International Protection Office) took over the asylum process in 2017 from ORAC, the percentage of applications approved jumped to 75% according to Eurostat.
Matt Cooper first asked her Why she wanted to be a city councillor. She replied:
"I think it's time. Actually with what I've done I feel like I've achieved so much by standing up and you know with the work that I've done. Also I've lived here thinking that I might not go to Malawi, going to live here so I'm a part of the community and the way the Irish communities decided that despite legally that I'm still in this system I've been embraced I feel this is home so I think despite the hard situation I feel like I've achieved a lot and I feel this is home so I think that's something that also makes me want to do what I'm doing at the moment."
Asked how can someone be in Direct Provision for a period of ten years, she answered:
"[Coughs] ehm, it's the system. I can't say why is that for me. I don't know. Maybe my mouth has contributed to that which is something that maybe is speculation but it's a very complicated system and that's how it ca..."
Kisyombe said she arrived in Ireland in 2010 or 2011.
Asked why she came to Ireland from Malawi she said:
"Ah, I didn't actually choose to come to Ireland like coming to Ireland but that was the easiest way for me to get here with the situation that I was in in Malawi and the people that were helping me to organise the journey at the time, Ireland was Malawi visa free and not only visa free but I was in a situation whereby I had to leave Malawi because I've lost many people in...some of my friend died so I could have died so it wasn't like going to Ireland, Germany or Switzerland but you know, it was Ireland but at that time I didn't know much of Republic. I knew much of Northern Ireland which because of the story of Northern Ireland but I didn't know much of Republic of Ireland but you know when you are looking for safety, I don't think you have a second guess or a second think about where you want to go as long as you get there."
Copper put it to her that he believed asylum seekers in the EU had to claim asylum in the first country they arrived in. She replied:
"So there is a flight straight to Ireland. The flight that I took, the first European country was Ireland. So the only stop-over was Ethiopia. So from Ethiopia you are in transit and the second country to arrive is Ireland."
However, there were no direct flights to Ireland from Ethiopia in 2010 or 2011 but Cooper did not question her further on this issue.
Asked why she had to leave Malawi, she said:
"I'm coming from a very strong political background. I myself have been involved into politics, activism and as you can see I've lived here, I'm a very opinionated person, you know so in Malawi actually it's a big problem and I could have lose life. People have lose life through that and at least I'm here in Ireland and I can continue to to talk and speak up and standing up for the things.... "
Cooper wondered when she thought she was going to leave Direct Provision and what has been happening that she hasn't had her status sorted out. She replied:
"I mean that's what I'm waiting for. No, I'm waiting for and I'm still going to be the person I am. I said I live through this moment. I don't know what's going on. I don't know what I'll get tomorrow but you know this is me...."
Cooper interrupted and asked her had she actually sat down for interviews with the Department of Justice. She responded:
"Yeah I have, I have sat down through interviews and my case is still ongoing so I can't talk much about that. I don't know what they're thinking but I'm here talking and they can listen..."
Cooper pressed her and asked had she at any stage been rejected and appealed or anything like that. She replied:
"Yeah, I have. Of course the first time I have rejected and then I appealed so you know it's now the waiting game so that's how it is."
"Also if I'm going to join Social Democrats, I think I'll be part of the solution so we sit down and make policies for people like me to not get stuck in this situation."
Broadcast: Today FM | 01 Jan 2019
