Mr. Bulelani Mfaco:

One of the issues I can speak about is the exploitation of people who live in direct provision centres. It comes in the form of sexual exploitation and in terms of work. When people are not allowed to work legally, it creates and openness for whoever wants to exploit them. We have had people coming to Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland who have worked from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and were only paid between €25 and €27. It becomes very difficult for such a person to live a normal life because they do not have a sense of what their rights are once they are given permission to live. They might continue with that exploitation.

We also have people in direct provision being offered money for sex because people know that there were people getting paid €21.60 per week. The figure is now €38.80. People have to live. I have been offered money for sex. There are children and women who have been offered money for sex. We do not know the extent to which the exploitation is happening but we have had reports from our work and from other people. RTÉ produced a programme called "Taken Down". The producers were doing research because the show is set in a direct provision centre. One of the things they came across was that people were being offered money for sex. People know where the direct provision centres are. People know that there are people there who are vulnerable. Then we have sex pests coming around trying to exploit people. That needs to be highlighted as well.