In September 2015 Ireland pledged to take in 4,000 refugees by the end of 2017 under the European Union’s relocation programme, as revealed by Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald. According to current UNHCR statistics, Ireland takes in a proportionately lower number of refugees than many countries smaller or of similar size, such as Bulgaria and Armenia. Many more asylum claims are rejected than are approved in Ireland, and large amounts are deferred. Between the years 2012-2014, Ireland registered just 677 asylum requests. To put that in perspective (admittedly, somewhat unfairly given the relative economy and population size), the USA accepted 68,137 refugees during that same period. I spoke to Mick Barry, TD for Cork North-Central about the growing epidemic.
“Ireland could and should take in more refugees. I think that measured against the scale of the humanitarian crisis, the government response has been poor. I don’t think this is a zero sum game in terms of resources for refugees versus resources for people here. It’s often posed that way, for example, if refugees come in there will be less houses to go around, but as a socialist I think there is a huge amount of wealth concentrated in the hands of a few; and that if society had control of even a significant portion of that wealth, there would be enough resources in the state both to address the housing needs of the Irish people and to accommodate refugees.”
Indeed, reception to news of this new intake among the public hasn’t been all positive. A Newstalk/Red C poll in February this year revealed that one third of Irish participants think that 4,000 is too many refugees to take in, while 49% believe it will lead to increased crime in Ireland. There has been much debate regarding the role of the media in the recent immigration surge, not only in Ireland but across the world. For TD Barry, the portrayal of refugees by sections of the media has played a role in cultivating a negative public opinion of migrants, and one which is untrue.
“There is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that an increased intake of refugees would lead to an increase in crime. In fact, surveys show that refs are less likely to be involved in crime and more likely to, for example, start their own businesses, than the average [person]. Certainly the media has a lot to answer for in terms of the way in which large portions of them portray refugees in a negative light.”
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