Silent Enablers: Nasc, the Migrant & Refugee Rights Centre Failure to Speak Up Fuels Mistreatment of Asylum Seekers | Quianna Canada
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) typically work toward public and social welfare goals, and are often classified by their orientation. A migrant and refugee rights orientation is rather unique, as it allows NGOs to shape and influence the local and national discourse on asylum law and policy.
An NGO in Ireland with this orientation is Nasc, the Migrant & Refugee Rights Centre (Nasc). Nasc was founded in 2000 in Cork by Sisters of Mercy, the Society of African Missions and a group of activists, in response to the creation of the controversial direct provision system. Nasc, according to the migrant and refugee rights centre, is Irish for the word link. The local Cork community recognizes this organisation as linking “migrants and refugees to their rights,” or does it?
Nasc has served marginalised communities in a variety of ways, such as providing legal support[1] and integration programmes.[2] These programs have tremendously benefitted individuals fleeing Middle East and African regimes. While these specific endeavours are commendable and essential to the NGO’s mandate, it must be observed that not all asylum seekers feel Nasc is “inclusive and equal” or working to realise “the rights of all refugees and migrants.” This is problematic because Nasc has enshrined the word “all” in its organisation’s Vision, Values and Services.[3]
Further, evidence seems to suggest that Nasc is particularly unsupportive of asylum seekers who flee the US. This particular finding may come as a surprise, in light of the fact that one of Nasc’s Senior Advocacy Officers is an American.
My Personal Experience with Nasc, the Migrant & Refugee Rights Centre
I did not feel empowered in the two years that I have been in contact with Nasc, and I’ll provide some examples. I conversed with Senior Advocacy Officer, Natalia McDonald, on two separate occasions: once during the 2021 pandemic, and on Friday, June 16, 2023. During the first encounter, McDonald treated me and my concerns with utter contempt, almost as if I betrayed the US for being in the asylum process. This intuitive belief was reaffirmed during my second encounter with McDonald, when she visited the Kinsale Road Accommodation Centre (KRAC) on June 16. During our conversation, I inquired as to why Nasc did not publicly support American asylum seekers and expressed my concern regarding the insensitive statements Nasc published in the Irish Examiner about Americans. It is my belief that McDonald did not sympathise or empathise with me; she just spoke to me in a high falutin tone that I found to be quite disrespectful. As for Brian Collins, who I really do respect, there is an element of pretence in his advocacy. In “ Leadership and Liberation: A Psychological Approach “ Seán Ruth acknowledges that members of oppressed groups have little time for pretence. Indeed, Ruth articulated that oppressed members find superficial niceness not to be based on any real connection to people (See 120).
Silent Enablers: Nasc, the Migrant & Refugee Rights Centre Failure to Speak Up Fuels Mistreatment of Asylum Seekers
I believe for individuals like McDonald and Nael Saoud, Americans are not the ideal victim, as we are not fleeing persecution in Africa or the Middle East. Another important fact is: I am not religious. I am not fleeing Taliban violence in Afghanistan or other acts that fall under these regimes. I am an American. Even though Black Americans in the US are killed by police at a higher rate than other groups, and Americans risk losing their lives to gun violence at a higher rate than nationals in most countries, McDonald and Saoud’s non-verbal actions and insensitivity to my experiences clearly demonstrate they did not see me as victim of persecution, nor as a human who was injured.
For instance, Nasc did not condemn the instances of abuses of power at KRAC, nor did it condemn the bullying and ostracism I encountered as it did when it publicly denounced pro-Irish conduct. Despite the hundreds of solicitors and barristers in Ireland, Nasc did not refer me to any solicitor or barrister who would serve to protect my interest as an asylum seeker, nor has it assisted or facilitated an in-person meeting with the UNHCR, as to which I initially requested. What is more, Nasc has been quick to identify with the oppressor by adopting its “call the gardai” colloquialism, in lieu of denouncing the environmental harm that I encountered in direct provision over the last few months.
It is worth stating at this point that Nasc has been a silent enabler as it relates to the marginalization and persecution of American asylum seekers. Yet, Nasc has given first person authority to other asylum seekers and refugees.[4] While I sincerely believe these groups deserve first person authority, I also believe that Nasc should extend the same treatment to all other asylum seekers, even if they are an American. The fact that Nasc has yet to advocate on the behalf of Americans in direct provision when one of its Senior Advocacy Officers is an American is ironic. This leads me to believe that Nasc feels we are undeserving of protection and should return to the US to face persecution. If so, then Nasc cannot be promoting a culture of tolerance, nor linking all migrants to their rights in Cork.
The Parliamentary Assembly regards NGOs as the natural allies of parliaments in the performance of their function of oversight, prevention and awareness. Pursuant to 6.4.2., NGOs should monitor, document and denounce discrimination.[5] While Nasc has publicly stated the far-right is trying “ to promote this narrative of men being less deserving of protection,” it has not denounced the mistreatment and narratives coming from its own team that Americans are less deserving of protection too. On reflection, I’m inclined to say that Nasc would rather Americans get on their knees and beg for its assistance or fade into oblivion, which ever comes first. Nasc’s non-action not only disempowers Americans in the international protection system, but it also emboldens in-group leaders and individuals with rank to continue their rampage of mistreatment.
This is not to say Nasc should be blamed or that it should feel guilty for not advocating for me as it did with other asylum seekers; it is simply that Nasc has failed to acknowledge that oppression often takes subtle, complicated forms, and these forms need to be thought about, as Ruth states, in all of their complexity.
On a final note, liberating the oppressed asylum seeker and refugee does not mean simply changing the oppressed asylum seeker, as colluders and conformers of the oppressor thinks. It also means changing the oppressor and the ally. If Nasc truly wishes to link migrants to their rights, it must be an ally in spirit and speak up for all asylum seekers.
References
[1] DeWan, Jennifer. “‘Naturalisation and Recognition of Irish Citizenship Will Improve Roma Rights.’” TheJournal.Ie, 6 Apr. 2017, www.thejournal.ie/readme/naturalisation-and-recognition-of-irish-citizenship-will-improve-roma-rights-3327190-Apr2017/; Nasc. “In from the Margins — Roma in Ireland (2013).” Nasc Migrant and Refugee Rights, nascireland.org/publications/margins-roma-ireland-2013. Accessed 17 June 2023.
[2] Kenny, Aine. “‘They Treat Us like Family’: Cork Communities Sponsoring Refugees to Settle in Their Town’.” Echo Live, 3 Feb. 2020, www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-40123394.html.
[3] Nasc. “Strategic Plan Abridged 2022–2024 .” NASC, Migrant and Refugee Rights Centre , nascireland.org/sites/default/files/Recruitment/Abridged%20Strategic%20Plan%202022–2024.pdf. Accessed 17 June 2023.
[4] Nasc. “Marwan’s Story.” Nasc Migrant and Refugee Rights, nascireland.org/stories/marwans-story. Accessed 17 June 2023; Nasc. “Jane’s Story.” Nasc Migrant and Refugee Rights, nascireland.org/stories/janes-story. Accessed 17 June 2023; Nasc. “Orhan’s Story.” Nasc Migrant and Refugee Rights, nascireland.org/stories/orhans-story. Accessed 17 June 2023.
[5] Parliamentary Assembly. “NGOs’ Role in Combating Intolerance, Racism and Xenophobia.” Parliamentary Assembly, 2012, pace.coe.int/pdf/b7a9d37ec7dfeef30fb3d608a30b6a5c597d2ea1a41a2a5498279a750ed39bd9/res.%201910.pdf.
Originally published at https://quiannacanada.com on June 17, 2023.
