Bank of Ireland moves to allow asylum seekers open accounts
Bank of Ireland (BoI) has moved to allow asylum seekers to open bank accounts, on foot of pressure from campaigners and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC).
In a statement, IHREC said it had received a commitment from
the bank it would change its policies to allow asylum seekers to open accounts.
The human rights body said up to this point banks had
insisted asylum seekers provide documentation many would not have access to.
BoI confirmed it will now accept asylum seekers’ temporary
residence certificate, refugee travel document or Stamp 4 Irish residence
permit, as proof of identity and address.
The IHREC said “the decision by Bank of Ireland to accept
specific State-issued paperwork, which all asylum seekers and refugees hold,
will allow asylum seekers direct access to basic financial services.”
IHREC chief commissioner Sinéad Gibney said the body had
committed “significant resources” to raise the issue with the banking sector.
Ms Gibney said the move by BoI was a “positive step” and called
on other high-street banks to follow suit.
“Access to the most basic of financial services is essential
to enable asylum seekers to find work, support their families, support better
integration and foster the inherent dignity that comes with the constitutional
right to access work,” she said.
“Many asylum seekers flee their homes under threat or due to
conflict, often without necessary paperwork, or have to submit documents such
as passports to the Department of Justice pending their asylum application
decision,” Ms Gibney said.
“It is important that banks recognise that people do not
have access to these documents and simply cannot provide them,” she said.
Barriers
Campaigners and advocacy organisations have long criticised
the barriers to opening bank accounts, which they said often made it difficult
for asylum seekers to secure work.
A BoI spokesman said the bank was aware in “some specific
circumstances” customers may not have access to standard forms of required
documentation.
“That’s why we have tailored our current account opening
requirements so that we don’t exclude customers such as asylum seekers from the
financial system,” he said.
“Where a customer is unable to provide the traditional
anti-money laundering documentation required, substitute documentation can be
used,” he said.
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