Sir, – In a recent letter, Martin McDonald (February 11th) states that the 1951 Refugee Convention is inflexible and outdated and should be revisited to ensure that the international refugee system is robust enough to deal with modern challenges.
This analysis ignores the fact that many places, including the EU and the African Union, have made laws that are more generous to reflect exactly this challenge.
In the EU, we passed the qualification directive in 2011 to harmonise who we defined as a refugee, trying to reduce the impetus for secondary movements. This expanded the definition to anyone who would face a real risk of serious harm if returned to their country of origin.
This included the death penalty, torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, or a serious and individual threat to their life as a result of indiscriminate violence. While not perfect, this broadened definition fills a lot of the gaps left by the 1951 convention.
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However, the reason that the 1951 convention has not been revised is that there is a real fear that if it were reopened for negotiation, it would be negotiated downwards instead of upwards. Or that if it were negotiated upwards, many countries that currently are signatories would not sign it. With states and regions able to broaden the definition, as we have done in Europe, there is an argument that some global protection is better than none. – Yours, etc,
KEIRE MURPHY,
Economic and Social Research Institute,
Dublin 2.
A chara, – The Government is being urged to “mind its language” regarding the refugee crisis particularly (“Coalition warned not to fuel ‘anti-migrant narratives’ in statements on immigration”, News, February 13th).
That’s not bad advice. However, as long as facts are not obscured, realities are observed, and truth is not compromised, those charged with reacting to the crisis would, indeed, be advised to mind their language. – Is mise,
PETER DECLAN O’HALLORAN,
Belturbet,
Co Cavan.
Sir, – Nick Henderson of the Irish Refugee Council is calling on the Government for “an overhauled communication plan” in relation to the debate on immigration.
It seems there is little unity within the Coalition, with the Green Party and Fine Gael parties at loggerheads .
What is needed is an immediate meeting of the Citizens’ Assembly to propose a comprehensive national policy on this vital issue.
In the past it proved its worth on other contentious national issues. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN BUTLER,
Drumcondra,
Dublin 9.
Sir, – Have there ever been so many politicians so out of touch with the people? – Yours, etc,
KEITH NOLAN,
Carrick-on-Shannon,
Co Leitrim.
Sir, – I came to Ireland from France in 1997 to finish my studies, and Ireland has been my home since then. I am proud to hold Irish citizenship and to bring up my children in a place where there is a great sense of community and much support. I also think the Irish education system is excellent.
It saddens me to see how a small minority of people who are struggling are blaming immigrants, and in particular refugees.
Indeed both the housing policy and the healthcare system have much progress to make; I have experienced this myself. And yet these are issues that have really nothing to do with immigrants, and very much to do with policy decisions over many years. It resonates with me as the country I was born in has a very strong racist party, the National Front, and since I was a child, they have been getting closer and closer to power. The most worrying is that racism in France has become normalised. Some right-wing politicians have taken on racist policies in a bid to win over voters. Some of the mainstream media have become a platform for anti-immigrant commentators; ironically, some of the most intolerant were born in France to immigrant parents.
Not opening up a national debate about immigration and integration carries a very heavy price for the whole of Irish society. So let’s work together to improve every person’s life in this country, and continue to become richer as a society for our diversity. – Yours, etc,
HÉLÈNE ROUGET,
Tullamore,
Co Offaly.