A UKRAINIAN woman gave an emotional insight into the reality of life as an asylum seeker in Newbridge at the meeting of Kildare Co Council last week.
Zoryana Pshyk, who is chair of the Kildare Integration Network, received a standing ovation from councillors after she shared her experience of living in direct provision in Newbridge after arriving in Ireland as an asylum seeker in 2006. She spoke as part of a briefing on the Kildare Integrated Strategy.
Direct provision is a means of meeting the basic needs of food and shelter for asylum seekers while their claims for refugee status are being processed.
In 2012 after six years in this setting with other asylum seekers Zoryana was granted the right to move out of the centre into a housing estate in Newbridge to begin a normal life. She told the members that living with her in direct provision was a girl who had been there for ten years after arriving at the age of 14 and leaving at 24 with two children. Also there was a woman with a PhD in alternative energies, a professional athlete and a girl with a masters degree in engineering.
“Every day in direct provision we lose our skills that we are trying to build our lives with,” said Zoryana.
She told the members that on the positive side the asylum seekers were given safety, shelter and food. ON the negative side they had to deal with ith nosey cleaners, arrogant chefs who wouldn’t cook what they liked to eat, night time fire drills and sometimes rats, mice and cockroaches.
“You are allowed no visitors, you have no passport and no id,” she said. “Everything becomes unbearable and eventually you start to feel that you want to kill yourself”.
She said integration comes with tears, anxiety, no confidence or motivation. “You don’t feel welcome or connected with reality,” she said.
Zoryana began doing English classes with the Leader programme and taking part in art classes, women’s groups and volunteering. In 2011 she organised Russian language classes in the local library and it helped her to get her confidence back.
She has a masters in Ukrainian language and is currently finishing a diploma in equality studies in Maynooth.
She spoke with great enmotion and shared her experience of finally leaving direct provision to settle back into community life, a move that she had thought would always be joyous and happy.
Instead, she said, she found herself in a house, feeling isolated.
“I couldn’t stand the silence and felt lonely, scared and insecure. I suffered from anxiety which Three years on and she is still battling with the affects of living in direct provision. She has also been part of a new asylum seekers’ support group.
Breaking down in tears Zoryana told the members that at a recent exhibition she was taking photographs when the lighting in the room reminded her of the lighting in her own room in direct provision. All of a sudden she found herself cowling in a corner from something deep inside.
“I couldn’t believe this is me,” she said. “All those years of trying to suppress your feelings. You try to battle the power that is there.”
She added that when living in direct provision she had no say about her life and found it difficult that when she tried to bring her children to school they didn’t want to go back because they knew it wasn’t home.
“It gets too deep inside, into your bones, under your skin, in your heart,” she said. “It squeezes you and oppresses you.”
She went on to say that there is very little support for people in direct provision and no psychological support whatsoever.
She is now on her third attempt to try and finish her equality studies in Maynooth and is also working on a higher diploma in education in the hope of getting a job. Her husband is studying for a BA in gaming and her two children are in St Conleth’s and the Patrician primary schools.
She added that they too have their own battles as people often comment on how good their English is.
“They are Irish,” she said. “They were born here. Yes they are bi lingual, multi lingual, but they consider themselves Irish.”
She added that she often has children over for play dates and that they love to learn Ukrainian words. She called on everyone to embrace positivity and integration.
“I hope Kildare Integration Society makes our beautiful Kildare more equal, diverse and welcoming for everyone. That it will teach everyone to support each other.
“I will make sure my experience will be used to follow.”
Mayor of Kildare Brendan Weld thanked her called for more pressure on direct provision.
“What she has asked for is very simple, to make Kildare a better place for everybody,” he said.
