Madam, - Denis Murphy (March 24th) writes that "the position of illegal immigrants into Ireland is an unrelated issue [to that of Irish in the US] which should be treated on its own merits."
I do not support his view and note the irony in his references to "undocumented Irish in the United States" and "illegal immigrants into Ireland". Nevertheless, I would like to apply his logic and treat the issue of undocumented Irish in the United States on its own merits.
Firstly, do they deserve special treatment on humanitarian grounds? The answer is a resounding "no", if you consider the fact that their home country is a prosperous, stable, democratic nation where human rights are respected and the rule of law is upheld.
The same could not be said about the home countries of many other immigrants in America.
Secondly, is there an economic argument for such special treatment? Again, the answer has to be "no". Their numbers are simply too low for their absence to make any appreciable difference to a country with a population and economy as large as America's. There is no reason why the US should not address the issue of immigration at least partly from the perspective of economic self-interest as every other country, including our own, does so.
Finally, can a political argument be made in favour of special treatment for the undocumented Irish? I concede that a US politician seeking to curry favour with Irish-American voters might gain some advantage by promoting such a policy. But does this justify doing so? Let us not forget how Bill Clinton's much-applauded intervention in the Northern Ireland peace process contrasted with his inaction in the face of an infinitely graver crisis in Rwanda.
I can find no compelling argument why the US immigration authorities should reserve special treatment for the Irish.
- Yours, etc,
MICHAEL DURKAN, Hollyville Court, Wexford.