Quarterly monitoring report on the work of BARKA For Mutual Help IE with Central and Eastern European migrants in Dublin 01/01/2024 – 31/03/2024
Quarterly monitoring report on the work of BARKA For Mutual Help IE with Central and Eastern European migrants in Dublin
01/01/2024 – 31/03/2024
TOTAL NUMBER OF RECONNECTIONS
01/2012–03/2023: 1001 PERSONS
BARKA IE is a charity based in Dublin working to help people experiencing homelessness. It is a part of world BARKA network with branches in the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Iceland, having its roots in Poland. BARKA IE as an organization was established in 2011 in response to the increasing number of Central and Eastern European migrants sleeping in the streets of Ireland, suffering from homelessness and substance abuse. Through our services, we support people to help them out of homelessness for good. We do this through providing them with the opportunity to reconnect and socially reintegrate into their home country. This is possible due to the vast possibilities of support for individuals within the Barka Foundation Network projects in Poland, where people could go back to their families or receive help in addressing their addiction problems.
In our migrant support projects, we work in teams of two; a leader and a social assistant. The leader is a person who has a personal experience of homelessness and addiction, that they combated with Barka Network’s educational and community programs. The social assistant is a person who is familiar with the languages that our clients speak and regulations in Ireland and has a formal education (e.g. a degree in social work, psychology, etc.) Together, they work in a team to help individuals reconnect with their families in other countries.
| SUPPORTING EASTERN EUROPEAN MIGRANTS IN DUBLIN |
BARKA IRELAND 4 core objectives are:
- Provide Information, Advice and Repatriation to a person’s home Country
- Assistance with Accessing Emergency Accommodation when required
- Fostering Social and Vocational Integration – educational and community programs, creating workplaces and accessible housing programmes (BARKA NETWORK)
- Key Work and Case Management; Language and Translation Service
- Type of contacts:
At BARKA, the incredible tenacity of our employees has enabled us to continue to be able to tackle homelessness head on. We work tirelessly to offer face-to-face services – and we continue to offer vital support and advice remotely. From January to March 2024 we’ve had 405 contacts with 90 individuals. We’ve had regular contact with many of the people whom we’ve met for the first time in previous years. In the meantime, we also met 62 newcomers.
Most of these contacts were made via outreach work at the main squares and shopping centres of Dublin, where many homeless people gather. We work in close partnership with Local Councils, Outreach Teams and Day Centres. across Dublin (Capuchin Day Centre, Merchants Quay Ireland, Simon Community Outreach team, Focus Ireland, and The Light House to name a few). Social workers in hospitals and prisons are in contact with our team to assist clients from these places.
Barka’s team also has regular contact and supports people over the phone, email and social media. Barka’s team is also assisting groups of homeless people who do not use services such as day support centers.
- Nationality of people we met
|
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN |
Total: | 90 |
| Romania | 40.00% | 36 |
| Poland | 22.00% | 20 |
| Latvia | 9.00% | 8 |
| Ukraine | 7.00% | 6 |
| Lithuania | 6.00% | 5 |
| Slovakia | 6.00% | 5 |
| UK | 1.00% | 2 |
| Other: Czech Rep, Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, Finland Bulgaria, France, Belgium | 9.00% | 8 |
| RECONNECTIONS |
From the 1st January 2024 until 31st of March 2024 there were
33 persons reconnected:
22 men
5 women
6 youngsters
Including 2 families
- Nationality
|
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN |
Total: |
33 |
| Romania | 10 | 30,3% |
| Poland | 5 | 15,2% |
| Slovakia | 4 | 12% |
| Lithuania | 3 | 9,1% |
| Czech Rep | 2 | 6% |
| UK | 2 | 6% |
| Hungary | 1 | 3% |
| Finland | 1 | 3% |
| Latvia | 1 | 3% |
| Ireland | 1 | 3% |
| Bulgaria | 1 | 3% |
| France | 1 | 3% |
| Netherlands | 1 | 3% |
BARKA supported individuals of 13 nationalities – 14 from EU and 1 from outside the EU.
The majority of homeless people who’ve returned to their countries with Barka’s support are Romanians, but our team also works with clients of other nationalities, mainly Polish, Lithuanian and Slovak citizens. Communicating with homeless groups is made easier due to the presence of Barka leaders who are former homeless persons with many years of training and preparation from Barka.
- Destination
| Reconnection destination | Number of reconnections |
|
Family in the country of origin |
30 |
|
To BARKA/ another organization/another country |
3 |
- BARKA’S team also supported 2 persons with obtaining documents necessary for travel.
- Situation of reconnected persons
| ACCOMMODATION | Total: | 33 | |
| Rough/tent/car/airport/Garda station | 21 | ||
| Friend’s couch | 10 | ||
| Hostels | 2 | ||
| Rented accomodation/HAP/social housing | 0 | ||
|
Hospital |
0 | ||
|
Prison |
0 | ||
Most of our beneficiaries are rough sleepers: sleeping in a tent in the woods, in parks and squares, on a friend’s couch or in a car. A significant number of those looking for BARKA’S support were seeking shelter at the Dublin Airport or Garda Stations.
- Majority of people reconected by BARKA are males
| GENDER | |||
|
Males |
76% | 25 | |
|
Females |
24% | 8 | |
- Referrals:
| ORGANIsATION/
INSTITUTION |
Number of persons reconnected |
|
Capuchin Day Centre |
3 |
|
MQI |
4 |
|
Focus Family Services/Focus Coffee shop |
8 |
|
Hostels/HSE /DRHE |
1 |
| Simon Outreach Team |
4 |
|
Cairdea |
0 |
| Garda/Airport Police/ITAS |
12 |
|
Homeless people /Internet |
1 |
|
St Vincent’s/Mater Hospital |
0 |
|
Wheatfield Prison |
0 |
|
Total: |
33 |
| Cooperation with other institutions and organisations |
| ORGANISATION/
INSTITUTION |
FREQUENCY
OF CONTACT |
TYPE OF COOPERATION |
| Consulates | As required | Travel documents |
| Merchants Quay Ireland | 1-2 x a week or as required | Facilitate the communication with persons, participating in Intercultural day |
| Hospitals | As required | Facilitate the communication with patients, cooperation with social assistants |
| Anonymous Alcoholics | 1x a month | Exchanging information, cooperation concerning homeless in poor health condition, putting in touch with homeless people |
| Capuchins Day Centre | 4x a week | Facilitate the communication with persons, accepting referrals |
| The Lighthouse | 2 x a week | Facilitate the communication with persons, accepting referrals
|
| Focus Ireland Family Services | As required | Facilitate the communication with persons, accepting referrals |
| Prisons/Garda/Airport Police | As required |
Accepting referrals |
| HSE, DRHE | As required | Exchanging information, accepting referrals |
| Dublin Simon Outreach Team |
As required |
Exchanging information, cooperation concerning homeless sleaping rough, accepting referrals |
|
Cairdea |
As required |
Exchanging information, cooperation concerning homeless sleaping rough, accepting referrals |
| Peter McVery Trust |
As required |
Exchanging information, accepting referrals |
| Dublin’s streets, main squares | 1-2x a day | Daily patrols, contact with a homeless people |
