Asylum seekers are being left homeless on the streets because official accommodation centres cannot cope with the numbers applying for shelter.

For the first time since it was set up almost 20 years ago, the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) has been forced to refuse those seeking help.

RIA officials have been turning asylum seekers away from its doors since Saturday night and advising them to come back in a few days.

Some of those who were refused accommodation on Saturday night were accepted in official centres yesterday afternoon.

But the problem is expected to become more acute in the coming weeks because of a surge in the number of asylum seekers arriving here from the UK, where Brexit fears about are fuelling an exodus.

The RIA offers accommodation and related services to asylum seekers as part of the wider direct provision system.

Irish Independent