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Seven asylum seekers and refugees will receive scholarships to study at UCC

The college joins DCU and UL as a University of Sanctuary.

shutterstock_654829678 UCC D. Ribeiro via Shutterstock D. Ribeiro via Shutterstock

SEVEN ASYLUM SEEKERS and refugees will receive full scholarships enabling them to study at University College Cork (UCC), which has been designated University of Sanctuary status.

The first of the annual scholarships will come into effect from September 2018. They will cover full fees and tuition, in addition to a number of annual bursaries covering travel and expenses.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Karl Kitching, UCC’s Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, said the decision is “hugely significant” as it aims to help refugees and asylum seekers overcome the “financial and cultural constraints” they face in attaining a third-level education.

Kitching said, in terms of education, “people living in Direct Provision or arriving as a Programme Refugee may not be aware of what is available to them”.

Many people in this situation are not in a position to go to college due to the prohibitive cost.

“Young people can be extremely demoralised from their experience in Direct Provision…

People’s dreams are dashed. Regardless of how long you’re in the school system, it can be extremely demoralising to do your Leaving Cert and know you can’t afford to get into the colleges your friends will be going to.

“We’ve seen asylum seekers and refugees come through UCC and the incredible contribution they make, their strength at overcoming incredible odds. We really welcome a diverse pool of people coming to UCC,” Kitching said.

Applications for the scholarships will open this summer and pre-entry support workshops will be held to help students apply. A support structure will also be in place once they start their course. Students can apply via the CAO system and must be under 23 years of age on 1 January 2018 to apply.

Direct Provision

For the past two decades, UCC employees and student societies have been engaging with local asylum seeker and refugee communities.

Lecturers Dr Jacqui O’Riordan and Mike FitzGibbon, who have campaigned through grassroots organisations for an end to the Direct Provision (DP) system, were recently presented with UCC Exceptional Citizen Awards for their work supporting asylum seeker children and adults living in DP.

About 5,000 asylum seekers are currently living in DP centres around the country. People in the centres are provided with meals and given a weekly allowance of just €21.60. The system was set up as a six-month measure 17 years ago.

UCC will launch its inaugural Refugee Week next month, with events taking place from 5 to 9 February – including a lecture by Unesco Chair in Refugee Integration Professor Alison Phipps titled ‘What is Refuge? Who Decides, and How?’ on 6 February.

Dublin City University and the University of Limerick have previously received University of Sanctuary status from Places of Sanctuary Ireland.

Read: Asylum seekers may only be allowed to work in certain jobs

Opinion: ‘Ireland is well placed to respond to the needs of migrants and refugees’

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    Mute anto Byrne
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    Jul 1st 2013, 2:37 PM

    An absolute disgrace I have to sell yokes to keep me afloat.

    79
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    Mute Rick MacRory
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    Jul 1st 2013, 2:52 PM

    And the majority of fools will still blame our government . Its world wide recession. Foolish fools

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    Mute NidgeWeasel
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    Jul 1st 2013, 3:00 PM

    No recession in my gaf.

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    Mute Flippermac
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    Jul 1st 2013, 3:32 PM

    Dont forget to welcome all the unemployment from Croatia

    53
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    Mute Bobby Murray
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    Jul 1st 2013, 5:16 PM

    @ Rick, “foolish fools” I never heard of an intelligent fool, only a politicians fool and that is you and your “foolish” comments!

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    Mute Tom Newell
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    Jul 1st 2013, 5:25 PM

    Yes rick the unemployment is all down to a world wide recession not mistakes made by governments and banks and greed and idiot decisions

    26
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    Mute Jonny Rigley
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    Jul 1st 2013, 8:55 PM

    What I’d like to see is the unemployment figures if Germany was excluded. I’d say that would give the figure a good jump

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    Mute itchy willy
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    Jul 1st 2013, 3:51 PM

    Vote for the Lisbon Treaty – vote for Jobs

    66
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    Mute grease lightening
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    Jul 1st 2013, 5:30 PM

    What do you mean a No vote? Ve vant a Yes vote!

    23
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    Mute Niall
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    Jul 1st 2013, 2:43 PM

    An extra 4 unemployed people in Ireland? Ha!

    48
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    Mute Bobby Murray
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    Jul 1st 2013, 5:27 PM

    “26 million people in the EU unemployed” not to worry, they are welcome in Ireland and they can get Social Welfare, free housing, children’s allowance (no need to uproot your children), free medical, travel pass and anything you can think of that theIrish who were self employed are not entitled too! Immigrants get priority! If you feel you are not getting your entitlements when you arrive on these shores, just shout racism and you are entitled to free legal representation too.
    All welcome even if you are not European!

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    Mute Jack Green
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    Jul 1st 2013, 6:19 PM

    Is your social welfare open for abuse? Are you that thick as a nation? Cannot sort it out? Ask for help,ask Germany.Angela Merkel will be more than happy to help ye,she will knock the common sense in your heads

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    Mute Marko Burns
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    Jul 1st 2013, 2:54 PM

    4 people? Malcolm Tucker has been massaging the DOSAC figures again.

    32
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    Mute Cipiatone
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    Jul 1st 2013, 5:31 PM

    This austerity thing is working a treat!

    20
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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Jul 1st 2013, 3:43 PM

    Good grief

    17
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    Mute Pete Foley
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    Jul 1st 2013, 5:44 PM

    Plus one more if they take any more money from me.

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    Mute murphy 11
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    Jul 1st 2013, 6:58 PM

    Bet seasonally adjusted figures show about 750,000 unemployed.

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    Mute noel beggs
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    Jul 1st 2013, 8:11 PM

    Wait till Albania get in. God help us

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    Mute grease lightening
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    Jul 1st 2013, 6:37 PM

    Anyone hear David Norris’s speech today? Worth a listen!

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    Mute Jack Green
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    Jul 1st 2013, 6:18 PM

    Is your social welfare open for abuse? Are you that thick as a nation? Cannot sort it out? Ask for help,ask Germany.Angela Merkel will be more than happy to help ye,she will knock the common sense in your heads.

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