EU: The governments of EU states are becoming increasingly hostile towards asylum-seekers, a conference on multicultural integration held in Dublin yesterday heard.
Political attitudes to asylum-seekers had hardened within the last two years, making it more difficult for them to integrate into society, Ms Marie Donnelly, head of the European Commission's Equal project, said.
Equal tries to tackle discrimination and inequality, Ms Donnelly said, but life for immigrants was becoming harder in a large number of EU member-states.
"Politically the external climate is becoming much more hostile and negative towards asylum-seekers. More countries are not allowing asylum-seekers to work, are not allowing access to training, are stopping people moving around within the country and are stopping them bringing their families with them."
Misinformation was compounding the problem, she said.
• The Minister of State for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mr Frank Fahey, yesterday rejected fears that an enlarged EU would mean job-seekers who want to stay in Ireland would lose out to immigrants.
Speaking at a conference in Bundoran, Co Donegal, he predicted that within six years, labour shortages within Europe would be such that not only would countries try to poach each other's workers, they would be forced to recruit labour from outside the EU.
