Last week we spoke to locals in the town of Ferns, Co. Wexford, who are opposing a site in the middle of the town slated to be used as a refugee centre. The situation has become worse, and in this first of a series of articles we will highlight the dire prospects of the town and who is responsible.
Deteriorating Situation
The Burkean can report that in the past week, several newcomers have been moved into the site on Main Street. According to local reports that cannot be fully confirmed, the arrivals appear to be males aged 30-40 mostly of African ethnic extraction.
The site is still being renovated, and it looks certain to receive more arrivals soon. Ferns is a small town and the site is close to schools and amenities used by the elderly. There is minimal Garda presence in the town after business hours.
Betrayal of Trust
How this came about is more troubling. The property is owned by the Sykes family, who also run an asylum centre in Courtown. Locals have said that the Sykes family denied that the site would be used for asylum seekers, and repeatedly refused to engage with the concerns of residents of the town. They also allegedly attempted to disrupt a protest by beeping car horns nearby.
The asylum centre they own in Courtown is large and has been a source of local consternation there also. The asylum system has proved to be a lucrative industry for property owners, and given the Sykes' portfolio it would stand to reason that other such sites could be turned into asylum centres soon also.
The same family were in the news in recent years for tax issues.
Developments in Courtown
A livestream posted by Niall McGovern in Courtown outside the asylum centre there made reference to the issue in Ferns. In the video, a woman working in the centre claims that the site in Ferns is not going to be an IPAS centre.
A man who confronts McGovern is identified by him as being Trevor Sykes, although that person does not identify himself as that. Far from clarifying the situation, the claim made by the woman seems at odds with witness accounts on the ground in Ferns.
The Murky Plot Thickens
What is clear is the fact that asylum seekers are being moved into the small town of Ferns by the government and the Sykes family. And that the locals of the area are being kept in the dark. The townspeople are determined to defend their interests and they are calling for expressions of support and numbers to attend their protest on Sunday 3rd of March at 3pm.
The Burkean is gathering more information about the Sykes family and their business dealings and will publish everything that is found.
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