‘Bringing hope to wounded humanity’

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Ireland recently hosted Lucas Maurício dos Santos SJ, a Jesuit scholastic visiting Ireland during a break from his theology studies. He spent the month of September immersed in the work of JRS, to explore and deepen his understanding of their work. Read Lucas’ reflection on his time in Ireland below.

An Immersive Experience of Hospitality and Welcome

“Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the child to kill him. So he got up during the night, took the child and his mother, and departed for Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod.” (Mt. 2:13-15)

This gospel passage was very present during my experience accompanying the workers in the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Ireland. Just like the Holy Family, many people today are still forced to leave their countries in search of better living conditions, the guarantee of basic rights, and the recovery of lost dignity due to the different contexts in which they find themselves.

The context for my visit was a stark one. JRS Ireland provided me with data showing that the number of people globally displaced, according to the UNHCR, exceeds 110 million. The reasons for displacement are diverse, including conflict, wars, and climate change. More people on the move means more people coming to Ireland in search of safety. In 2022 Ireland received a record number 13,651 applications for international protection, a level that was sustained in 2023. When I arrived in Ireland in September, such records had already been broken, with over 14,000 applications received already this year.

Such unprecedented numbers have contributed to a scenario where the accommodation system for international protection applicants has become overwhelmed, with some asylum seekers even being denied access to accommodation for many months and forced to live on the streets. Even those men, women and children offered accommodation by the State must face the reality of extremely challenging living conditions that have rapidly deteriorated over the past 2 years. Finally, public opinion, partly due to a chaotic official approach, has increased hostility towards refugees.

Accompaniment on the Margins

It was in this context that I witnessed and tried to support the work of the JRS Ireland team. Throughout the month of September, I visited various types of emergency accommodation designated to house individuals and families seeking refuge in Ireland.

In the Dublin region, these included the Citywest Transit Hub; State tented facilities at Newtown Mount Kennedy and the Dundrum Central Mental Hospital; and B&B accommodation for families. At the Balseskin National Reception Centre, I saw how the JRS Ireland Fáilte Project provides dedicated reception and orientation support to newly arrived asylum seekers. Nationally, I also joined JRS operations in Galway and Limerick, visiting accommodation centres in towns, cities, and very remote rural locations.

The men, women, and families that I met came to Ireland from countries affected by conflict, war or natural disasters, including Nigeria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Somalia, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Uganda and Botswana.

In every location, the JRS Ireland team sought to accompany, serve, and advocate for forcibly displaced persons. It was comforting to see JRS’s support, with the team working hard to ensure that each person served can have their rights guaranteed so that they can live in peace and dignity.

No Place to Call Home

The lived reality of asylum seekers denied accommodation and surviving on the streets is deeply concerning. During my visit, I witnessed the efforts of a JRS Ireland partner, the Dublin Christian Mission (DCM), responding to this plight of homelessness.

Under the auspices of the ‘No Place to Call Home’ initiative, funded by the Belvedere Sleep Out 2023, JRS Ireland support DCM to distribute essential food, clothing, and hygiene items to homeless asylum seekers presenting nightly at The Lighthouse. Helping with the service, I was able to be close to the volunteers and homeless people and they kindly shared a little of their stories, allowing me to know them better.

The intervention of JRS with asylum seekers facing homelessness is a great help, bringing hope to humanity wounded by the refugee situation.

Hope and Gratitude

These September days were a unique opportunity for me to experience gestures of welcome and hospitality, as evoked in the Encyclical Letter of Pope Francis Fratelli Tutti, when considering the reality of the stranger from the perspective of the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37): “Like the chance traveller…we need only have a pure and simple desire to be a people, a community, constant and tireless in the effort to include, integrate and lift up the fallen.”

I would like to conclude this experience with heartful gratitude for the way God continues to work in creation, restoring the dignity of many people. Thank you to my fellow Jesuits from communities in Dublin, Galway and Limerick for their warm welcome and to the JRS team in Ireland for their accompaniment and service to asylum seekers, refugees, and the forcibly displaced.

May the Lord give us the grace to grow in the fraternal spirit that breaks down the barriers of fear and allows us to extend a hand to those in need.

Lucas Maurício dos Santos SJ

JRS Ireland would like to add its sincere gratitude to the welcome shown to Lucas by the Gardiner Street Community; Della Strada Community; and the Saint Ignatius Community.