Elena

Elena is from a southern African country. She came to Ireland as an international protection applicant (asylum seeker). Elena is a single mother with one child and had been in Ireland for 18 months at the time she participated in the GBV-MIG research project.

Migration experience

[Regarding racism], the manager of the previous centre [I stayed in] was … very racist. I think I had two encounters with her, where I confronted her on her racism. I said, “Listen, you are being racist when you do this, or say something like this.” And the second time I confronted her I actually got kicked out of that centre.… I have a better experience [now].… For me this [centre is] better than the previous one. I do have access to health service.… It’s okay, but sometimes, it is not that great. When I was pregnant I used to go to [a hospital] in Dublin for check-ups. And … they would make me wait for two hours.… I think because I was … from the situation I was from [direct provision], I waited there for two hours with my big tummy.… Everyone, people that came … after me, would go in before me. [Also], when I arrived [in Ireland] … I was put on a waiting list [for counselling]. From the time I arrived, up until now [18 months], I’ve on a waiting list for the psychologist. I don’t know [if] it will ever happen. [My] current economic situation is horrible … because I have to budget my whole entire life on 68 euro per week … [for] me and my baby.… So, clothing, medication, and food [other than what is available in direct provision], all that basic stuff has to come out from 250 euro [per month]. And also to my home.… I have to send some money to my mum so that she can buy food.

DSGBV experience and access to supports

As a person who lived in direct provision, I have … been in a situation where my womanhood was … caged. I had been in Ireland for two weeks then, and every man in the centre [was seeing me as] … something that could be useful for their sexual pleasure. And … that means, women are not protected.… If anything would happen to me,… the first [people] that I have to tell are the centre managers. [But] they are not my friends. I don’t want to talk to [them] about things. But at the same time I can’t go out and make friends because life in direct provision is just something else. You can’t trust anyone.… So that has to be the biggest pain that I’ve faced when I migrated.… I just can’t trust anyone, male or female.

These men [grow up seeing women as] something … to be used.… And it’s something that is not talked about often. There is a lot of domestic violence [in accommodation centres].… The victim … doesn’t want to report the perpetrator … [because they] do not want this migrant man compromised [in terms of his immigration status]. And they keep quiet at the expense of their own safety. [Also you think],… What did you do that made him … act like that? So you end up keeping quiet.

I’ve seen a woman that was beaten by her husband [in direct provision] and … the police did come, they took that man.… And next thing, that is over. There is no conversation about it. No type of counselling [to ask], “What is the problem here?” Because even being in the system is stressful. So it’s like when migrants experience [gender-based violence], it’s just … “put a plaster over it and move on.” … And it is … not just in direct provision – also in the migrant community, there are lot of things like that. I know a lady, [in] a similar situation, [abused] by her husband that she was married to for 25 years, no one complained.… The man [has] never been arrested to date.

I speak from an African woman’s perspective – from the way I dress, from the people I hang out with, and for all my behaviours, I will always be criticised for that: “Woman doesn’t do this, woman doesn’t do that. Woman should care.” So when … [I go] drinking out with a few guys, I am telling them to rape. The question will be, “What was she thinking dressed like that, drinking with those guys?” So we have been conditioned to think like that. Should we experience any types of harassment, it is our fault.

Interactions with the authorities

[I contacted the police] … one time when [a] man [in a shopping centre behaved suspiciously toward me and my baby daughter]. I never liked my experience with the police [and] this is my first time to say this. But … I felt like, the police [acted] like I was just being paranoid. I know that I am paranoid naturally. But in that one particular incident, I felt like they didn’t take me seriously. They did not take the incident seriously [when the man was trying to solicit sex or whatever]. I felt it was to them … just okay [and] I didn’t like that. The last time I went to [the International Protection Office].… I was going there to [say] that I was struggling to getting a GP, and there was just a lot going on and I was pregnant at that time. The woman [in the office] screamed at me… She just shouted at me.… I hadn’t even addressed her. Because on that day, my main focus … was getting myself a GP. But this woman was so rude to me.… And now that I am at a calmer place, if I do go back to the office, I will definitely let her know that the last time I was here, you were very rude to me.

Integration into Irish society

I don’t have any relationship with the community except the people in the [direct provision] centre. There is no integration programme in place. I used to go to church here in Ireland, but I stopped when I was pregnant and have never gone back.

I feel like in Ireland, we face difficulties as migrant women. I don’t know how, but … when it comes to migrant women, the whole [issue of] sexual objectification comes back immediately. It’s very difficult to earn respect as a migrant woman. Especially for the black one. It’s very hard. Because you still need to break through the sexual barrier, break through the race barrier, break through the gender barrier.… [Regarding interactions with Irish people], with females, yes, I had very good [experiences] and then with men [a very weird one]. Even though I have contacts with Irish society, I feel I am affiliated more with the black community. I do have some … Irish friends,… but I think it all goes back to my defensiveness.… Honestly, if I put myself out there, actually, integrating with the society, I feel like I am putting myself in harm’s way.

[Trying to access] education was my worst experience because when I wanted to enrol in the university, I was told they would ask for an EU passport or else enrol as an international student, which is very expensive for me. I also tried to apply for an English training class but one of the requirements is a passport and residency that I don’t have. I plan to [do an] access course before I carry on with my degree.