Sir, – 2023 was the year in which the debate on immigration stepped up a gear here in Ireland, with some commentary taking on the sinister racial undertones already evident in other EU countries.
Any honest debate on immigration needs to acknowledge the growing impact of the climate and biodiversity crisis on the social cohesion of vulnerable countries. Putting up physical and political barriers will not deter those desperate to escape grinding poverty, political instability and environmental catastrophe.
If western nations want to to genuinely deal with the mass migrations that are inevitable, then they need to deal with the fundamental issues driving it.
They need to massively increase the loss and damage fund agreed at Cop28 from the pitiful $700 million to a level that can make a meaningful difference.
Ann Ingle: Deliberately going out of my way to move for no particular reason has never appealed to me
Gerry Thornley: How about an alternative look at Ireland’s Six Nations win over England?
Is Ireland anti-Semitic, an outlier of tolerance or in the middle ground?
How risky is it to buy a second-hand EV?
In addition, the EU and US need to stop propping up corrupt regimes that facilitate corporations in the extractive destruction of these countries.
We cannot expect to carry on with business as usual, destroying ecosystems and destabilising countries without a resulting impact.
Ireland, having benefited hugely in recent years from an economic system which exploits developing countries, should be using its influence to lobby for the positive changes needed to eliminate the root causes of mass migration, instead of exacerbating its impact. – Yours, etc,
BARRY WALSH,
Blackrock,
Cork.
