*DUBLIN – Friday, February 13, 2026 (11:00 AM)
While the walls of Mountjoy Prison witnessed a peaceful and dignified protest organized by members of the ADPImovement today, the scene inside reflected a sharp decline in the state’s legal and ethical standards. Over 50 activists and asylum seekers gathered in front of the prison with a quiet but powerful message: “We are here to demand justice, not chaos, and to support our neighbors and colleagues who have been detained like criminals despite committing no crime.”
- A Peaceful Protest: Dignity Over Bars
The protest held today at 11:00 AM was a living testament to the determination of asylum seekers to claim their rights through peaceful and legal means. Participants called for the immediate release of their colleagues who were suddenly arrested while attending routine check-ins at the Immigration Office (GNIB). These detainees are not just numbers; they are taxpayers contributing to the Irish economy. Holding them in criminal prisons is a blatant violation of the Geneva Convention, which states that seeking asylum is not a crime.
- The Silence of “Funded Networks”: Where Does Taxpayer Money Go?
The question posed by protesters today at Mountjoy is directed straight at the organizations that claim to defend our rights. According to published Department of Justice reports, these entities receive massive annual funding to protect asylum seekers, yet we see total silence from:
- rish Refugee Council (IRC)
- Doras
- Nasc
- MASI
- Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Ireland
- Immigrant Council of Ireland
- Crosscare
This suspicious silence regarding the imprisonment of innocent people in criminal jails suggests that these organizations have traded frontline advocacy for comfortable “9-to-5 office jobs,” prioritizing their strategic relationship with their “Government Funder” over moral and professional integrity.
- The Double Standard: Political Will vs. Systemic Exclusion
The “Temporary Protection” model granted to Ukrainians—which includes up to €600 in rent support (ARP), full freedom of movement, and immediate rights—proves one thing: Humanitarian alternatives to detention are possible and exist when political will is present. However, when it comes to asylum seekers of other nationalities, we find a system that relies on intimidation and arrests to market fake “political successes” to certain demographics, while ignoring international laws that forbid the jailing of victims and treating them as easy targets for deportation.
- The “Silence Business” vs. Human Rights
What these organizations are doing today is exploiting the names of asylum seekers to collect donations and grants, while failing to provide any real protection during times of crisis. Their absolute silence and the neglect of everyone else’s suffering is a tacit admission that these organizations have become part of the state’s administrative apparatus rather than a voice for the vulnerable. Mountjoy Prison today stands as the greatest witness that our rights are being sold in exchange for the continued flow of government grant money.
- Conclusion: Share Your Opinion
What is happening in Ireland today is a test of the community’s conscience. Do you accept that taxpayer money is being used to jail peaceful people and separate their families? Can you trust organizations that avoid confronting Minister Jim O’Callaghan to protect their own budgets?
WE WANT YOUR OPINION: Do you believe these organizations still represent you? Or have they become a government tool to push through policies of detention and deportation?
Share your thoughts in the comments. Truth is not funded; truth is told.