In the absence of sufficient facts, people are falling back on prejudice in judging the issue, writes Priya Rajsekar.
I am not from Fianna Fáil or the Progressive Democrats. No, I don't belong to the Labour Party either. In fact, I am neither on this side of the referendum debate or that. I am right in the middle of it all, standing out conspicuously - brown skin and all.
For months now, I have been the reluctant subject of heated arguments, media reports and talk shows. I have also been the object of hatred and sometimes sympathy. Yes, I am a "non-national", a so-called "alien" without the customary antennae over my head.
I am not here to cast my Yes or No vote on the referendum. As you may rightly point out, I am not entitled to do so, despite being an affected party.
I am here to speak about the effect the citizenship referendum is having on thousands of brown-skinned people who can't leave their skins behind them to escape being a dartboard.
I am not questioning the privilege of Irish citizens to decide who is welcome here and who is not. I just seek reassurance that every vote is cast for or against the citizenship issue at hand, and not for or against the presence of a different colour or race in Ireland. I just request assurance that every man and woman who will cast their vote on June 11th has an informed opinion on the subject of citizenship by birth; that he or she understands that not every person with brown skin is here without legal permit; that most such people make significant contributions to the growth of this country.
From my vantage point, I feel that the citizenship question has attracted a lot of attention, mostly negative, to skin colour. In the absence of sufficient facts and statistics to form opinions regarding the referendum, people are falling back on prejudice as a basis for their judgments - a prejudice against "brown" and everything associated with it.
Colour in itself is not the issue. It is what the colour is associated with that is worrying. I have often heard "colour" being blamed for the collective problems that Ireland faces today. People seem to think that "brown" is responsible for unemployment and redundancy, for rising house prices, traffic congestion and increasing crime. I fear that many of the Yes votes will be a vent for this misplaced hate and frustration. I shudder at the thought that what was earlier a whisper and is now a loud conversation will in future manifest itself as widespread racial violence.
In an article published in the Sunday Independent on March 14th, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform said: "I take this opportunity to reiterate most strongly that most non-nationals living in Ireland have come here properly documented and are sharing in and contributing to Ireland's economic success. We're delighted to have them here; to welcome them; and to help them establish themselves permanently here if that's what they want."
Yet statistics on non-national births do not differentiate between births to legal migrants and so-called "baby tourists". For instance, the information note on the proposal for Constitutional amendment and legislation concerning the issue of Irish citizenship of children of non-national parents contains the following statements:
"Data collected by the reception and integration agency from the Dublin maternity hospitals recently showed that one out of every five children now born in Dublin has a non-EU-national mother. It is clear that the citizenship entitlements of children born in Ireland and the resulting claims to residence by their parents has been the single most important factor in bringing non-EU-nationals to Ireland to give birth.
"The masters of the Dublin maternity hospitals have repeatedly expressed their concerns at the numbers of non-national mothers giving birth in Dublin. Figures quoted for the period January to June 2003 show that, of the total number of births in the Dublin maternity hospitals (11,601), some 2,816, or 24.3 per cent, were to non-national mothers. At present, their major concern is the rise in births to non-national mothers other than those in the asylum system."
Nowhere has it been mentioned that many of these births are to non-national economic migrants. Are we then to understand that childbirth to an economic migrant non-EU-national mother is a matter of serious concern? Does it mean that it is acceptable for a non-EU-national doctor or nurse to assist in several births every day, but alarming when a non-EU-national nurse or doctor gives birth? Besides, most economic migrants are young and of child-bearing age and are likely to bear children during their stay in Ireland. Are these people here solely to stake a claim for citizenship?
A non-EU national stands out primarily by the colour of his skin. He has no identity tag to prove that his residence is bona fide. Confusing statistics, such as those originating from the aforesaid report, trigger off a generalised anger towards anybody who is not white or apparently European.
Decades ago, a man of Irish descent was elected president of the United States and remains, arguably, that country's most popular president. More recently, a so-called Third World country and the world's largest democracy voted a foreigner to its highest political seat. The greatest celebration of skin colour is when people cease to be aware of it as a yardstick for respect or love.
Without doubt, the need to fill the citizenship loophole is wholly justified. I am very proud of my own country and would react similarly if its hospitality were misused. Citizenship is a matter of the heart and it signifies a sense of pride and belonging to a certain country. There is no justification in the use of citizenship as a passport to trespass.
However, having said that, I wonder if this hurried referendum is the only solution to this problem, if it is worth exposing thousands of immigrants to possible verbal and racial abuse so that a small minority can be prevented from misusing the system? Would it not be a kinder and more logical method to first disseminate the true picture with statistics and facts? Would it not be a tribute to democracy if every vote cast were an informed one?
Priya Rajsekar is an Indian journalist currently living in Ireland