Sir, - As someone who has lived and worked in a multi-cultural environment for many years, I warmly commend last Saturday's Editorial, "Dealing with Immigration". In London I was involved in a day centre that responded to the needs of hundreds of homeless and marginalised people (many of them Irish). About 10 years ago, during a Christmas street appeal for the centre, one of the parish teenagers (of Nigerian origin) was told by an irate passer-by to "go back to Ireland where you come from". What do you say to a highly motivated Nigerian teenager, who genuinely wanted to help others, to explain that a small minority of people see the problem of homelessness in London to be one about the Irish? I will never forget his reply: "Father, you don't have to explain prejudice to me."
When speaking of the issues of refugees, asylum seekers, immigration and even emigration, it is important to keep the wider context in mind. Globalisation is a reality. Ireland is now integrated into an international (European) community. The Irish economy has changed from being one of the weakest to one of the strongest in Europe. Tourism is now one of the major players in our economy and this implies presenting a positive picture of Ireland overseas. Economically, socially, politically and culturally, we are part of a wider picture.
Your Editorial identifies "identity" as one of the key issues to be tackled. When a country is faced by a weakening of control over its own economic affairs, a rapid change in its culture and, at the same time, an increase in immigration, there can be a tendency to define nationality in terms of ethnicity and geography. Similar movements have begun elsewhere in Europe under the banners: "France for the French" and "England for the English".
Your Editorial rightly raises the question: "What does it mean to be Irish?" Many of the sportsmen and sportswomen who represent us were not born here and never lived here. There are Irish people of Asian, African and East European origin who have been born, educated and lived all their lives in Ireland. Irish passports are available to people who live outside the Irish Republic. It seems to me that we have to remember that there is a distinction between nationality and citizenship and that these concepts are rooted in political, geographical and cultural factors, but certainly not ethnic ones.
Your Editorial also rightly implies that "Ireland for the Irish" is not an appropriate stance. A closed society is ultimately not a healthy one. From my own experience of living in two countries other than Ireland, diversity of cultures, nationalities and ethnic backgrounds (despite any difficulties) is a strength in a society, not a weakness. The fears that underlie movements that suggest Ireland should be for the Irish are not rational and certainly not justifiable.
There are, however, real difficulties for a small country like Ireland in responding to the new challenges of immigration, refugees and asylum seekers. I would go further than your editorial and call on the Government to do the following:
1. Affirm clearly - once again - the right of free movement within the European Union for all citizens of member countries.
2. Fully implement the 1996 Refugee Act at once and put in place the structures necessary to process applications for asylum fairly and quickly.
3. Put in place a policy on immigration that is just, humane and open. It isn't that long ago that up to 70,000 of our young people were leaving Ireland every year. Other countries have shown an openness and hospitality to Irish immigrants. We have a moral responsibility to do the same.
4. Ensure that immigration checks are carried out in a fair, compassionate and non-discriminatory way. - Yours, etc.,
Fr Pat Lynch, Sacred Heart Community, Northbrook Road, Dublin 6.