The Good Life: Let's not blame Immigration

I volunteered with Limerick Treaty Suicide Prevention on the back of writing an article with them back in November. I was inspired by the volunteers. Rather than talking about mental health; how terrible waiting lists for services are and how our young people are slipping through our fingers, I wanted to be one of the people who make a difference. I understand that my walking around the rivers of Limerick city is a very small drop in a large chasm of water, yet I hope that I can in some way contribute.

I was joined this week by another first-time volunteer. As we patrolled with our group leader, we got to chatting. She was from India and came to Ireland to complete her Masters degree. She is working as a software engineer at the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson and has been living in Ireland for five years now. Upon asking what shocked her the most upon moving to Ireland, she responded “it’s so empty here” with a laugh. I asked what she meant by this and she explained that, in comparison to her native country, there are very few people and cars on the streets.

“This street would be full,” she said, gesturing to the area in front of us close to the Shannon Bridge.

I consider Limerick to be quite a bustling city, yet in her eyes, it wasn't. Interesting. I always ask this question and have never heard this response. We fell into an easy silence as we crossed the bridge. As my eyes scanned the Shannon, I couldn't help but think how refreshing it was to hear her comment. These days, I have gotten so used to hearing the far right ‘Ireland is full’ rhetoric, which I know has little to do with space.

The phrase has become something of a buzz word in the political sphere of late. I am working on a piece for college on Limerick’s local elections due to take place in June. While speaking to candidates and reading through their profiles, I was shocked to find that immigration did not come up once. What was mentioned though was housing, rural depopulation, trying to set up incentives to encourage young people to stay in Ireland. Of the people with whom I spoke, there was certainly more talk of emigration than immigration.

The latest Irish Times/ Ipsos B&A (a research and insight agency) poll results published on Saturday found that 59% of people interviewed were in favour of a more closed immigration policy in Ireland, which would reduce the number of people coming to the country. Some 48% of the same people surveyed said that immigration has been positive for Ireland. Interestingly, none of the survey questions asked if people were satisfied with how the government chose to address immigration, despite the article topped with an image of rows of tents, a referral to the Department of Integration’s decision to place asylum seekers in tents as they struggled to source accommodation across the country.

Further questions prompted people to express their concerns in relation to immigration, where participants were asked to state if they were concerned, not concerned or had no opinion. Concerns included: "Local services such as education and health could be overwhelmed"; “There is already a shortage of housing locally”; "Refugees/asylum seekers may not be properly vetted" and "The local economy may be impacted negatively".

Under the heading of immigration, one might be led to believe that each of the issues mentioned were the fault of people coming to Ireland. Could immigrants be a perfect scapegoats to blame for government failings?

In the meanwhile, suspected anti-immigration activists have seen at least 23 buildings burned across the country in arson attacks since 2018, the most recent in Leixlip, County Kildare last Wednesday, following a false rumour that the premises would be used to accommodate asylum seekers. I think it's disgusting, as a country that once experienced mass emigration, that we cannot open our arms to those in need.

What is it? What makes people think it's okay to say the words “I am not racist but” and follow it with a stream of racism? I think more action needs to take place in terms of immigration, but not in the context of blame and hatred. It needs to be more than a dark night, so-called unvetted males, burning buildings and privatised accommodation systems, which leave communities fuming.

We need more transparent policies from our government that inform communities, alongside acceptance from our people. That under half of the people in that survey believe Ireland has benefited from integration is laughable. Look around, what kind of food do you eat on the way home from work on a Friday? The people in our hospitals, universities, restaurants, our public transport, those volunteering on our streets – every sector of our economy; they are all multi-cultural. They came at one time; they started their journey in Ireland. If that is not enough, take a look at the Irish diaspora abroad and think about how you would like those people to be treated. I think blaming immigration for Ireland’s economic and social problems is an easy way out. In a year of elections, let's not take it.

* Gemma Good is from Killeshandra and a fourth year journalism student in University of Limerick

YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY

Finding true passion in writing