Killarney Asylum Seekers Initiative (KASI) was set up in the year 2000 in response to the government’s programme of dispersal of people seeking asylum in Ireland - which would become the system of Direct Provision. Members of the initiative also included representatives of local religious communtiies in Killarney, as well as people from other community groups and individuals, including local people and people seeking asylum.

As the work of KASI has evolved and developed, KASI’s support and services extended to refugees, migrant workers and families in the wider Killarney region. To reflect this evolving range of support, KASI has since changed its name to Killarney Immigrant Support Centre, with ‘KASI’ kept as its legal name. In recognition of KASI’s work, the organisation was awarded a 2021 IPB Pride of Place Award, an all-island competition, in the Community Resilience category.