For many unemployed young Irish people, Australia seems like the Promised Land.
Tales of earning hundreds a week, living in beach side luxury apartments and nearly-year round sunshine have lured thousands of 20-somethings down under but it’s not as easy to get ahead there as it seems.
Broke Irish backpackers are on the increase and are now turning to charity organisations for food.
The Australian-based Irish Echo is reporting that a soup kitchen in Perth has noticed a huge increase in the number of backpackers low on cash, who think charities designed for the destitute are an option for them also.
Speaking about the phenomenon, Bev Lowe, 72, who set uo the Manna Inc facility in 1996 said “There are a few Irish, I must admit. When I’m out on the street and I see them, I say ‘This meal is for homeless people, it’s obvious you’re not homeless, will you please step out of my line?’
“And if they say no, I say to them: ‘If I have meals at the end of the night, you’re welcome. But, we feed the homeless first’. I think that’s a reasonable thing to say.”
Fun in the sun? Doesn’t seem like it…
However, the charity worker said she did sympathise with the young immigrants. “I do understand there are people in this country on the promise of a job and it fades away. And then they’re left high, dry and handsome.”
According to local reports, the Claddagh Association – a Perth-based Irish welfare group – has launched an investigation into the situation.
Joan Ross, a spokesperson for the group said “We asked did they often get Irish and they said last year there was an awful lot that queued up all the time for food. It never came to our attention last year, but this year it has.”
And in Sydney, Rev Bull Crews, who runs a food van, said that up to four percent of meals he hands out are to backpackers.
“We’ll say things like: If you’re hungry and you’re a backpacker, get to the end of the queue and if there’s any left over, you can have it.”
Broke or just saving their beer money? It sounds like the latter to us…
