'Kisyombe not legally obligated to answer questions over the veracity of her asylum story to voters' (Ireland)
Social Democrats Councillor Gary Gannon who is Ellie Kisyombe's running mate in the upcoming local elections has told The Tonight Show that Kisyombe is not legally obligated to answer questions about the veracity of her asylum story to voters.
Kisyombe failed her asylum but has been appealing the decision causing a lengthy stay in Direct Provision. Last year, the Irish Independent revealed that government has an undeclared scheme allowing failed asylum seekers without a criminal record to remain in Ireland if they've been here for over five years but it is not known why Kisyombe has not been eligible for the scheme.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news...
Kisyombe has called for an end to the Direct Provision system where asylum seekers are housed in hotels and other buildings around the country while their claim is processed. They are allowed to work if they have received no response to their claim after nine months. Consequently very few are entitled to work.
In Direct Provision, asylum seekers have all their meals prepared for them and this March their monthly allowance will be raised to €38.80 for adults and €29.80 for Children. The Refugee Council of Ireland also calls for an end to the Direct Provision system and wants a portion of social housing stock dedicated to asylum seekers.
Up until 2017 approximately 10% of asylum seekers were successful in their asylum application but the ESRI has revealed that 80% of deportation orders against failed asylum seekers are never implemented.
Last week Mark Tighe writing for the Sunday Times has revealed that Kisyombe attempted to claim asylum in the UK in 2011 before being transferred back to Ireland, where she already had a student visa. Tighe also revealed that in 2014, Kisyombe was arrested and placed in detention in the UK on suspicion of illegal entry. This resulted in a second request by UK authorities to have her removed to Ireland.
The exposé in the Sunday came under criticism from ENAR (European Network Against Racism) who called it "unsympatethic" and criticised the photograph chosen to accompany the report because Kisyombe was not smiling in it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12nbp...
The exposé came after Matt Cooper pressed her on asylum claim in an interview where she admitted her asylum application was rejected and she was appealing the decision.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xTHh...
Three members of the Social Democrats board have resigned in response to co-leaders Catherine Murphy and Róisín Shortall writing to the national executive and expressed concern at the allegation that there may be some inaccuracies in Kisyombe's back story. The national executive subsequently met and has decided to carry out a review.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/polit...
In the aftermath Gary Gannon posted on twitter:
"The Dublin Central branch of the Social Democrats have today reiterated their full support for their selected candidate for the North Inner City Ward in the 2019 Local Elections"
https://twitter.com/SocDemsDubCen/sta...
Kisyombe told the Irish Times that she did not wish to comment on the controversy.
Broadcast: The Tonight Show | Virgin Media One | 26 Feb 2019
https://www.invidio.us/watch?v=R6jP21QSOEs
https://www.invidio.us/channel/UCgzyycFR6PEv-B90rAiFsQg
