Editorial: 'Immigration policy in modern Ireland'

'Ireland is a country whose history was characterised by substantial patterns of emigration.' (stock photo)

Editorial

The intervention of the Galway West TD, Noel Grealish in Dail Eireann last week, in which he erroneously claimed that remittances from Ireland to Nigeria amounted to over €3.5bn in the last eight years, represents one of the most troubling contributions to the Dail in recent times.

Mr Grealish's intervention followed his recently recorded remarks at a public meeting in Galway to address concerns in relation to the location of a direct provision centre for asylum seekers, during which he made reference to "spongers" and alluded to the religious or ethnic backgrounds of immigrant groups here. There is no place for such divisive comments in the national discourse. That it has come from a national politician is especially shocking. However, it is also becoming clearer that significant questions are being posed in relation to the integration of immigrants in Ireland, and these questions need to be addressed by policy makers in a more fundamental, not to say transparent, manner, so as to show and ensure that this country has learned from the mistakes of other countries through the decades and centuries.

Ireland is a country whose history was characterised by substantial patterns of emigration. In this newspaper today, the noted historian and author Breandan Mac Suibhne refers to the historian Arnold Schrier, writing in the 1950s, who calculated that, in 1848-1900 alone, the Irish sent home over £52m ($260m) from North America; that is, over £1m ($5m) per annum or approximately £30m ($150m) per annum in today's money. And there came money, too, from Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. In the first instance, this contribution to the building of the Irish State should never be forgotten, least of all by those who now most vociferously object to immigrants arriving on our shores.

The construction of the modern Irish nation embodied a politics of nationalism, a vision of a Gaelic, rural, Catholic and sedentary Ireland which, to quote academic research, limited the articulation of difference. By comparison with other European states, there was relatively little immigration to Ireland in the 20th Century. However, that began to change in the 1990s, with the expansion of the economy and the years of the 'Celtic Tiger'. A 'new' Ireland was introduced. In light of this dramatic change, the phenomenon of net immigration to Ireland began. This process of social change took the Irish Government by surprise. We recall now the toll this took on, for example, the education sector. Those young school children of other nationalities and ethnic backgrounds are now coming of age, and are and will continue to contribute to the building of a modern Irish society. It is essential that they continue to be made to feel welcome, and not feel isolated. The objections to the location of direct provision centres can have an alienating effect on those who arrived and were welcomed here 20 years ago.

The mission of the Department of Justice and Equality is to "work together to advance community and national security, promote justice and equality and safeguard human rights". One of the department's core objectives is to deliver "a fair and balanced immigration and protection regime". In recent times, government has put in place a range of policies in this area. However, there is still a sense that the country's immigration policies are ad-hoc and lack a coherent integrative framework for ethnic minorities. The debate needs to move on from a primary emphasis on regulation and control of borders to issues of recognition and integration. Decisions made now, the attitudes tolerated and rejected, and the tone of debates in the national parliament, will be central to the construction of a positive modern Ireland in the century ahead.