Before June of this year, Anas Ishtiah had never heard of the Church of Scientology. The Jordanian-Palestinian was staying at the Crooksling tented international protection accommodation centre in Co Dublin when he was approached in the early summer by a Nigerian resident who suggested he volunteer with the controversial organisation.
“He said I’d get a certificate that would help me with my refugee status and give me an advantage to remain in Ireland, and that they would help me with job interviews,” Ishtiah recalls.
He also agreed to set up a Crooksling-Scientology WhatsApp group to help recruit other Arabic-speaking asylum seekers in the camp. Up to 200 asylum seekers subsequently joined the group.
“Half the people in Crooksling don’t speak English so I had a chance to be translator for them. I told them the same thing I’d been told, that this would help with their refugee status,” he said.
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For two months, Ishtiah rounded up between 30 and 50 men twice a week who were bussed into Dublin’s city centre to hand out anti-drug leaflets to passersby. At the end of each day, the men received certificates of participation – a document, they believed, which would help with their asylum claim.
Ishtiah recalled how the same two Scientology members always met them outside Crooksling on the bus, dropped the group off and collected them later in the day. They also took photos of participants before and after the leaflet drop. Many participants spoke no English but were still given booklets to distribute. Some treated the whole excursion as a joke.
“Some of them didn’t even hand them out, they just threw them in the bin and then picked up the certificate,” he said.
However, others were keen to get involved and participated in a “human rights open day” at the Church of Scientology in Firhouse in July. “It was called Nelson Mandela day and it brought people from all around Dublin together – Somalis, Nigerians, Jordanians and Palestinians. We got certificates for that day too.”
One afternoon, a group of men were brought to the church for training in maintaining eye contact with one another, he said. “They gave us a booklet about it, said it’s better for people when handing out leaflets.”
I’ve done four months of cleaning with no pay and sometimes you think you should be paid. But I don’t get annoyed. I just see it as a way of being kind and trying to help
— Endurance Osaretin
Ishtiah started feeling uneasy when church representatives suggested he give English classes to other asylum seekers on their premises but without remuneration. They offered him accommodation if he accepted the role, he said.
Another day, he was brought to Firhouse and asked to clean the church for eight hours without food, he said. “I thought they would pay me that day but they didn’t. They said it was volunteering. Eight hours of volunteering? I don’t need that.”
The Church of Scientology has a long history of attempting to gain a foothold in Irish society, often using front groups with innocuous-sounding names such as Drug Free World or The Citizen’s Commission on Human Rights. In some cases these groups hide their connection to Scientology.
Scientology has been variously described as a religion, cult and, in several countries, a scam. It teaches that man is immortal and that traumatic events in a person’s life can only be cured by an often expensive process known as “auditing”. In the past it has attracted many high-profile supporters, including Hollywood actor Tom Cruise. However, its membership was dwindled in recent years.
Scientology’s founder, science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard, opened an office in Dublin in 1956, just two years after founding the organisation. In 2017 the group opened a large centre in Firhouse, Dublin which frequently hosts free concerts and family events for the local community. It regularly carries out litter clean ups and has distributed large amounts of literature to schools around the country.
[ How Scientology is trying to insert itself into Irish schoolsOpens in new window ]
Critics and anti-cult activists have accused Scientology of attempting to infiltrate Irish society by stealth. The goal, they say, is to legitimise itself and shed its image as a predatory organisation that brainwashes and extorts money from members.
“What’s clear, because they’re based here in Firhouse, is they’re trying to extend their reach into all aspects of community volunteering and manipulating people in order to do that,” said Alan Edge, an independent councillor for South Dublin County Council.
“I’ve been aware at first hand of their attempt to infiltrate drug and alcohol taskforces; they’ve been prevented from doing this because of our serious concerns [that] their practices may be harmful.”
On paper, there is little evidence Scientology is succeeding at its alleged infiltrating goals. The 2022 census showed there were 132 scientologists in Ireland, compared to 189 “satanists” and 1,800 “Jedi Knights”. However, the true figure may be higher, as the number of asylum seekers in Ireland has increased significantly since the 2022 census.
Endurance Osaretin, who came to Ireland in February seeking asylum, has been volunteering with the Church of Scientology for five months and leads leaflet drops in Dublin’s city centre every week. Church representatives “talk about boosting your career, your dreams,” said Osaretin. “It’s an opportunity to develop your talents.”
Osaretin has acquired a range of certificates, as well as a letter of appreciation from Scientology for his “constant support of the humanitarian campaigns”. He also paid €20 for a training course on how to enter the Irish labour market.
He plans to use the reference letter in his interview for international protection. “I’ve done four months of cleaning with no pay and sometimes you think you should be paid. But I don’t get annoyed. I just see it as a way of being kind and trying to help,” he said.
“Many people say bad things about Scientologists but I don’t really care. I just want to join and do something, trying to help people and show them the way. I’ve also met new friends.”
Legal experts say the certificates offered by Scientology would be of “zero benefit” when applying for asylum or subsidiary protection.
One member of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal, which hears appeals against refusals of asylum status, said applicants frequently include letters from churches or community groups in support of their case. “They all carry no weight,” the tribunal member added.
“In an international protection case the only issue is whether a person is at risk of serious harm or persecution in the country or origin,” said David Leonard, a barrister specialising in asylum law.
If asylum seekers fail in the application, it is still open to them to apply to the Minister for Justice for “leave to remain”.
In theory, a certificate detailing voluntary work could be relevant here, said Leonard. “But I can’t imagine a certificate from [Scientology] would materially increase your chances of remaining in Ireland. I don’t think it would add anything to your case. Your time isbeing wasted,” he added.
“The really big thing that worries me is that they’re being told they can use these certificates and reference letters to further their application and to get jobs,” said an Irish volunteer worker who helps asylum seekers in tented accommodation.
Scientology is continuing to use asylum seekers to hand out leaflets in Dublin city centre. Volunteers were visible on the streets as recently as last week.
In response to queries, Diana Stahl, director of public affairs for the Church of Scientology in Ireland, said “many hundreds of asylum seekers joined in numerous volunteer projects”.
Asylum seekers “reached out” to the organisation and “some have become very passionate about these topics and asked to volunteer,” she said. “Many volunteers eagerly requested letters or certificates to acknowledge their participation, which we provided.”
The church “has never and would never advise any asylum seeker on any legal aspects of their application or circumstances”, Ms Stahl said, adding that meals were provided for volunteers.
She said the church had received numerous community awards for its volunteer work, including one from Cllr Edge when he was mayor of South Dublin
Cllr Edge said the organisation participated in an event to raise money for cancer research and that he presented certificates to everyone involved. He said he was not aware until the ceremony that Scientology was a participant.
The Department of Integration said some accommodation centres had been made aware of contacts between the Church of Scientology and residents. Access to centres is limited to registered charities, it said.
Anas Ishtiah stopped recruiting and volunteering for the church in August after an Irish friend urged him to break ties with the group: “He told me to keep away, so I told everybody else to keep away too and they listened to me.”
He said he felt exploited and was now focused on securing asylum in Ireland and finding paid work. “They wasted my time, they wanted us to do everything for free. If I want to volunteer, I’ll do something useful for the people of Ireland.”
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