Bohemians have teamed up with Amnesty International to create a new away shirt featuring an image of a family fleeing war and the message “Refugees Welcome”.
The Dublin team have come together with the organisation to highlight the tough living conditions facing many refugees under Ireland’s Direct Provision, the system for processing asylum seekers that has been in operation in the country since 2000 that Amnesty says is “flawed” and a “human rights scandal”.
The shirt also features the slogan “Love Football, Hate Racism” on the collar. “We made the decision to allow our shirt to be used as a platform, alongside Amnesty International, to highlight a very real and pressing issue in Ireland today, that of Direct Provision,” said the Bohemians director, Daniel Lambert. “This builds on a deep and lasting relationship we have built with MASI [Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland] and through multiple engagements with people living in Direct Provision.”
The shirt will be worn as the alternative to Bohemians’ home shirt in the new League of Ireland season, which kicks off on Saturday.
Amnesty International Ireland’s executive director, Colm O’Gorman, said: “Bohemian FC and their supporters have an incredible track record on social justice issues. We’ve long respected the practical solidarity they’ve shown people seeking asylum and refugees, so this is a fantastic opportunity to bring our supporters together to call for an end to Direct Provision.
“Direct Provision is an ongoing human rights scandal. The system is fundamentally flawed, trapping people for years in limbo and isolating them from communities in inhumane, institutionalised conditions.”
