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TOMEK* FIRST CAME to Ireland in 2008 to visit his sister for a two-week holiday.
After seeing the jobs that were on offer and the standard of living here, he ripped up his return ticket and decided to stay.
He worked a number of legal and illegal jobs throughout the years: growing chillies for paprika in a greenhouse in Swords, as a car mechanic, packing bags in a warehouse.
But suffering from a severe addiction to alcohol, after seven years Tomek was sleeping on the streets of Dublin, homeless after spending four months in Mountjoy Prison for theft.
“You never really fall asleep when you’re on the pavement,” says Tomek, through a translator.
You lay down and you stay awake because you never know when someone will attack you and smash a bottle over your head.
A Polish national, Tomek speaks very little English, and has difficulty accessing homeless and social protection services in Ireland.
He has recently come through a detox programme and has stopped drinking.
But he is still part of a growing number of homeless migrants living and sleeping rough on the streets of Dublin.
Homeless migrants
Homelessness is an ever-growing problem in Ireland, a fact well-documented in recent months.
Latest figures from the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) show that there are over 607 families in homeless accommodation in Dublin – more than double the same time last year.
The number of homeless non-nationals has been steadily increasing also, with 173 homeless from outside Ireland or the UK in Dublin in 2013 (the latest year that figures are available from), up from 94 in 2011.
On top of this, of the 105 people found sleeping rough in Dublin during the latest rough sleeper count, one in five were non-Irish.
A large proportion of these homeless are Eastern European, with the majority of them from Poland.
“When the accession states joined (the EU) in 2004, they would have come here with the expectation of work, or would have been working,” says Lisa Kelleher, Head of Communications with the DRHE.
But down to the construction industry… there were impacts that happened in terms of job losses and their access to our services.”
The collapse of the construction industry had a huge effect on workers who had come to Ireland during the boom-years.
Many migrants – like Tomek – came here for job opportunities and the higher quality of life.
But a combination of not speaking English and a lack of consistent work, along with drug or alcohol problems, led to them becoming stranded.
Kelleher says that many migrants are not able to access social protection in Ireland (like job seekers allowance or social housing) because they don’t satisfy Ireland’s Habitual Residency Condition.
This condition means that they must have worked for a certain amount of time in Ireland or fulfil other criteria before they can qualify for social protection.
They still would be able to access emergency accommodation… but they’re not in that space whereby the exit out of homeless services back into independent living is available to them.
Support and protection
Barka, a Polish charity working in Ireland since 2012, is funded by the DRHE to help homeless non-nationals.
With a small team working out of another Dublin homeless charity – the Mendicity Institute – they help migrants link in with homeless services or to return to their home countries.
However, for many returning home is not an option.
For Tomek, it’s a legal issue – he is wanted in Poland for a drink driving offence and will almost certainly go to jail if he returns.
But for others the issue is more personal.
Adam* (38) came here from Poland in 2005. He worked as a builder for four years in a company in Cavan, before the company shut down.
“One day this company just closed – no more contracts – nothing,” says Adam.
“I lost my job. Not just me, lots of people lost their jobs.”
Adam is now staying in detox facility run by the Simon Community in Dublin. He suffered from alcoholism for years and spent some time homeless before getting help.
He is separated and has a 6-year-old half-Irish daughter who he sees once a week. If he leaves Ireland the chances are he’ll lose his daughter.
My daughter is my life… My relationship is broken but my daughter is my blood. If I move to Poland I lose my daughter – that’s my blood, it’s not happening.
The Barka team have helped both Adam and Tomek connect to detox facilities in Dublin, have given them financial and emotional support and have kept in contact with them for months.
“Barka help so much – money, documents, everything. Without them… I don’t know what I would do,” says Adam
The Barka Foundation
The Barka Foundation for Mutual Help was founded in Poland in 1989. Two psychologists were seeking an alternative form of care for destitute or social outcasts after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
They set up the first Barka commune just outside the city of Poznan, living with 25 social outcasts in a self-sufficient community in the Polish countryside.
Since then, the organisation has grown into an international social franchise, with over 200 related entities spread out across Europe using the Barka name.
These range from small teams supporting homeless people, to huge self-sustaining communities spread out across Eastern Europe.
The Barka team in Ireland (Barka IE) is made up of just three people: Ewa Sadowska, Alexsandra Kubiak, and Jurek Struglik.
In their first year in Ireland, Barka helped 52 people return to their home countries.
So far this year they have already helped 55 people reconnect with their homes, as well as supporting many more in Ireland, like Tomek and Adam.
Ewa (32) is the Director of Barka, the daughter of the original founders, she grew up on the first Barka commune and shares her parents’ vision of an alternative way of caring for people.
“Our approach is based on what we call social economy,” says Ewa.
It’s about the development of each and every human being based on the belief that every human being has a great potential. Even those who have been on the streets or homeless for many years – every person has a great potential that may need to be rebuilt – that is what we do.”
The Barka outreach teams work in pairs, with a Leader and an Assistant. The Assistant is a qualified care professional, usually a social worker or someone with a degree in social care.
The Leader is someone who used to be homeless – their job is to make first contact with a person who might need help, to approach and get to know them, then to direct them to the Assistant who can help them further.
Alexsandra and Jurek are the Barka team on the ground in Dublin.
Alexsandra has a MPhil in Race, Ethnicity and Conflict from Trinity College. Jurek was homeless for years in London, and now works with Barka to help others.
“You cannot work with people if you stay behind your desk all the time,” says Alexsandra.
You need to go out to meet people, to get to know them and see how you can help…. The approach to homeless migrants will be different to Irish homeless and it’s important to get to know them.”
Together, the team spend their day running around Dublin, meeting with new clients and following up with the others to make sure they’re okay.
They would like to receive more funding from the DRHE so that they could expand their operation to a second team.
However the DRHE has yet to confirm an increase in funding. So for now the operation will have to stay to same size.
The growing problem
As Ireland’s economy slowly recovers, more people will start coming here to live.
With the country in the midst of a housing crisis, Barka believe that the homeless problem will continue to grow, and with it the number of homeless migrants will continue to expand.
While Barka want to grow as an organisation to address this increasing demand, for now they are busy enough helping those already here.
Last Wednesday, the entire team drove twice to Navan, Co Meath, with Tomek to try and secure him some accommodation for the night.
Tomek has stopped drinking and wants to get long-term accommodation so that he can start working again, but with the current housing crisis, even temporary accommodation is hard to come by.
“I never knew Barka existed before this September,” says Tomek.
“If I had known, maybe my life would have been different.”
*Some names have been changed to protect the identity of people involved
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You don’t have to be homeless to run the risk of some skanger scrote to pick on you at random.
Having worked in Dublin City centre for several years it’s a dangerous place at night for anyone regardless of having a home or your nationality. Unfortunately due to lack of Gardai it’s not getting any better.
About 8 years ago I walked from Parnell St to Store St Nick with a female Garda Sgt at about 3am sun night-mon morning…O O’Connell St was like a scene from a post apocalyptic movie..I was wide eyed,wary,the Sgt was comfortable…I wouldn’t do it on my own.
I think you’re happier behind a keyboard listening to Alex Jones podcasts Joachin, safer too.
Surely you mean “Aled” Jones Richard…
Tomek should be repatriated to Poland to face criminal charges. By not reporting Tomek, these helpers, are facilitating a criminal in avoiding justice. Also, “Last Wednesday, the entire team drove twice to Navan, Co Meath, with Tomek to try and secure him some accommodation for the night.” Have they not heard of phones and public buses? Or how about making a phone call or two before hand to avoid going twice? I wonder are there any teams of people driving homeless Irish people around the country so that they can get accommodation for the night!? Doubt it.
Repatriating people to their home country is a good idea – they can hopefully reconnect with family and get help.
Am I really supposed to feel sorry for someone who is genuinely choosing to be homeless!!! he could go home bit is choosing the streets, my guess is his charges are far more serious than simple drink driving, probably drink driving causing death or something, not even in Poland are you imprisoned for dd, dd is nearly cultural, think of dd in Ireland in the 70s, 80s and early 90s. He has zero prospects of employment and worked illegally ie paid no taxes. This charity needs to get a grip and a dose of reality.
That beggar in the photo at the phonebox is a Roma gypsy who is always begging at the entrance to the arcade between Henry street and Penneys on O’Connell street.Im currently working very close by and he is regularly flat out talking in his native tongue on his state of the art smartphone. He’s obviously part of an organised begging ring and it beggers belief (no pun intended) why people constantly throw coins into his manky little cup.
Sorry don’t mean to be cruel and I feel sorry for anyone homeless. But go home to your family perhaps? Doesn’t speak English but in Ireland sent since 2005? Or maybe get addiction help! We have enough of our own homeless. If non Irish can’t sustain themselves or what ever nationality in what ever country go home where you speak the language and get the help you need. Drink driving offence? Go home face the music and sort yourself out. Am I meant to feel sorry for people who are running from criminal acts in own country? Eh no. All go home and dort yourself out when you lose your jobs
Who the hell hangs around to have only option of sleeping on street.
Good for barca sending them home.
Genuine question….are any Africans homeless on Dublin’s streets?Polish,Romanian,Irish…
Genuine question also – what percentage of Africans are net contributors to the Irish economy ?
A lot contribute to the economy ,I myself included as a business man but like everything in life theres always bad eggs who don’t and claim benefits. As for homeless africans, i haven’t seen any yet around the city.
good questions nira and joachin .
I’ve come across one on Talbot street but his issues seem to be psychological more than addiction. Poor man doesn’t seem to know where he is!
Thanks Suzie…I’m a rural boy..not comfortable in or knowledgeable about the urban side of things but I don’t like being mislead neither.
I haven’t ever seen any Africans on the streets at all . so what does that tell you ?
Another question, why have articles on migrant homeless? Homeless people are homeless people and the last thing we need is another charity that has an interest in only a tiny subsection of the actual problem,
Homeless migrants’ should not exist.
If you can’t support yourself you are on the next flight out on a one way ticket.
The irony in the story above is that we have a foreign criminal on the streets and we are supposed to have sympathy !!
Ahh enforced multi-culturalism, isn’t it great all the same (NOT).
There are no Africans around the city homeless, they are all put up in hotels courtesy of the taxpayer!
Joachin any immigrant who can’t support himself and cannot sort themselves out accommodation should go back home even if they are from the UK.
Don’t mean to cruel, but was he addicted BEFORE he came here for work?
Also, if thejournal.ie wanted to really get the true story, find out how many beggars are actually doing well on welfare and NOT homeless! This is really important, because it actually puts people with brains off giving to homeless people.
Actually how about finding how the homeless people are not housed considering these charities receive millions – literally tens of thousands per homeless person.
Throw in the “homeless” living in hotels because they refuse free houses outside Dublin.
Good man Time . A convicted criminal, an illegal worker and after 8 years here you still can’t speak the language, we really need more like you here.
Tomek
I agree sob story about chancer. I have suggestion for Tomek – Ryanair back home. PIS won election yesterday in Poland and they talk big re social protection so he will have better chances of being sorted over there I’d say. No need to sleep rough in Ireland. Id happily chip in for his ticket. Where is hes family he came to here? Had enough of him by any chance?
Why can’t they just go back to Poland then? is living and sleeping in the rough streets of Dublin (as they say) better than Poland? Poland isn’t so bad at all. Go back to Poland and make ur life better for u and ur family. Drink driving offence, Sounds like murder. A bad excuse. what’s wrong with spending a few nights in the prison for something he shouldn’t have done.
Give him a ticket back to Poland. ..
Even if they were from Cork or Kerry you would be saying to buy them a train ticket back there.
can anybody get me a house in dublin?i worked for years but could not afford to buy a house in dublin.so i bought a house in the country got a job but no job at present.so i am fcukin stuck in the country unemployed.i would get a job in dublin i would say…will the goverment or some helpful organisation swap houses with me so i can get back workin again…..i enquired already and i got answers of NO….i had to leave my county so i could buy a house….a load of billix…
rent it out and move back up ?
not the answer.i want to live in MY HOME like other people.in my forties to late for me to start renting my house out then i have nowhere to stay unless i rent a room in some ones gaff like i did twenty years ago.
not sure what else you can do .. best of luck .
try commuiting like the rest of us you winger
“he liked it here so much he ripped up his ticket” – get a job, pay taxes and rent privately before you make rash decisions like that.
It would be cheaper for the government to buy him a one-way ticket back to Poland.
fk of back to ur own country
“A Polish national, Tomek speaks very little English, and has difficulty accessing homeless and social protection services in Ireland.”
This is crazy, if he can’t support himself, he should be deported. If issues like this can’t be resolved, the UK will vote to leave the European Union and who can blame them.
I think the has been a fantastic success, but if it can’t see that people don’t like this kind of nonsense, it is shooting itself in the foot.
the reasons for the two of them to want to stay here is not really good enough , one of the lads is basically on run from the police , he’s got himself clean but he’ll never turn his life around with that hanging over him . I do think the group seems to be doing a great job though helping them with their addictions and helping them get home .
And its not just simple drink driving – if he faces jail and has a warrant out for him he probably killed or injured someone whilst drink driving.
so can police in Poland not arrange for him to be sent back ? he’s a criminal and facing charges over , are we meant to feel sorry for this guy ?
I only care about Irish people who are homeless.
Have a great week everyone!
I always laugh at this ‘suffering’ from an alcohol addiction. What a load of crap! It’s like the poor anto, he suffers from the terrible disease of drug addiction… I like many others love alcohol but I know when to stop despite urges not to….
There should be retrieval process established between countries and if there are any homeless people unable to support themselves abroad – their original country should be contacted and bridge established of retrieving such person back. Cost should be deducted from social welfare funds of foreign country. Exemption should be applied to people who showed significant PAYE contributions in foreign country.
I am sick of waiting for politicians to get tough on criminals, zero tolerance was promised years ago but liberty groups are everywhere trying to protect the rights of criminals; what about the rights of those of us who obey the law?
Thank God there’s no homelessness, alcoholism or addiction problems outside Dublin that’s all I can say.
Coz I’m sure if there was the media would be reporting on it.
But I thought they were coming here to pay for our pensions and do the jobs Irish people wouldn’t do.
I wasn’t aware being homeless and addicted to heroin are now things Irish people won’t do anymore.
they are homeless by choice , they are refusing to go home .
Taxi drivers, are ye reading this? See, no free gaffs and cars being handed out to foreigners
He spent four months in Mountjoy Prison for theft! Who pays for the prison? Who paid for the court case? Did he get legal aid?
WE TAXPAYERS PAID! THOSE WHO WERE THE VICTIMS OF HIS CRIMES PAID TWICE!
Well said, plus these guys always have enough English to get PAID as they call it.
They’d probably draw the line at handing over a free car to a chronic alcoholic.
Stop shouting ffs. You missed my point. There’s widespread belief that foreigners get everything handed to them. The big problem really is that gov don’t make the system transparent; so urban myths do the rounds.
I think we have enough of our own addicts , send them home
Barka is doing in Ireland what socialism formerly did in Poland, creating home and work environments for incapable individuals. I recently asked a Hungarian if there where any losses in his country from the collapse of Communism. He stated that homelessness had become an ever increasing problem. Every society has individuals who are incapable of being self supporting be it due to addiction, culture, mental health problems or handicap. I saw a Gypsy slum in Hungary. No child deserves to be raised in that environment.
None of this makes any sense. I mean it’s Poland, it’s not Somalia, why be homeless in another country where you don’t have a grasp of the language and have even less chance at finding help? Crazy, he must’ve done something in Poland, he’s obviously not going back for a reason.
have your say