Michael McDowell: It’s not fair to call those concerned about uncontrolled immigration ‘far right’. It is a reasonable response among reasonable people
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2024/08/21/its-not-fair-to-call-those-concerned-about-uncontrolled-immigration-far-right/
Posted by badger-biscuits
19 Comments
Both things can be simultaneously true
It’s not a reasonable response. It’s an irrational fear being stoked up by online fascists.
Michael McDowell is spot on. Immigration will be one of the biggest divisive issues of the next few decades. People working in minimum wage jobs compete for resources with recent immigrants. People in highly skilled jobs also do the same. People in Ireland compete with immigrants for social housing. People in Ireland trying to buy their own house compete with immigrants in bidding wars. These immigrants are obviously people too and here legally but the huge population increase puts a strain on affordability for Irish people living here their whole lives. I think it’s unfair for Irish people who have lived and worked here their whole lives to all of a sudden be in competition with people who are moving here with highly paid jobs and transferring their wealth from another country to Ireland. Obviously great for the economy but not so great if you’re competing against another person for housing or other scarce resources.
We don’t have uncontrolled immigration. The closest we came to uncontrolled immigration was the unilateral decision to change the visa restrictions for Ukrainians and then give them better benefits than practically any other cohort in the State. However, this is not what people like McDowell are referring to.
With regard to the International Protection system. This would be more than manageable had we not invited 100k+ Ukrainians in the middle of a housing/health care/social resources crisis.
While International Protection applicants coming from certain countries have small chances of being granted and could therefore be seen as ”economic migrants”, we would still be better off unilaterally granting men from Georgia or Nigeria that could go and work in vital sectors like construction than we were in inviting in a 100k+ Ukrainians.
He is right it’s ok to have concerns about the impact immigration will have on Housing, health etc however when you have concerns about the above and fail to acknowledge the contribution foreign healthcare staff, foreign born construction workers, those in the service industry and a big part of our 20 Billion corporation tax windfall which keeps this country afloat is down to our immigration policies then maybe you are far right.
To direct anger at people fleeing their countries or leaving their country in search of a better life is wrong. We as a nation fled this island many many times and often overcame horrible discrimination while doing so.
Now of course we need a rules based system and can’t accommodate everyone but burning buildings, protesting with that scum up north and becoming Tommy Robinson wannabes is not the way
When many of the “reasonable people” dont care about any of these issues except for when immigrants are involved, then I don’t think they really are that reasonable.
Most of the issues will be exacerbated by immigration but they exist regardless and have been brewing for years now, yet the country hasn’t exactly been overrun with protests and calls to action from all the reasonable people.
If there is one person I don’t want to hear a about what is and isn’t racist its the fucker who pushed through the citizenship referendum.
Can we call the far-right far-right? They generally seem to be at all these “protests”
Like where else would they be?
And nobody is labeling all people at them as far right, as they usually are a minority, even when they take power.
Because they don’t care about consensus.
They seem are far greater threat than those seeking asylum. Like 40+ arson attacks, Dublin City centre wrecked and violence all over Britain and in Belfast.
But oh no, lets have reasonable concerns about an increasing population putting pressure on services hollowed out by Mcdowell’s Thatcherite experiment when in gov with FF and then the subsequent austerity.
This man alone has done more damage than any asylum seeker.
Of course, it is a reasonable response. 4.2% population rise in 2023 is the highest population increase of any country on record. And by a huge distance when you compare to countries like the US and UK. That’s in no way sustainable. Anyone suggesting otherwise needs their head checked. Likewise, asylum applications have skyrocketed here last year while decreasing in the EU as a whole due to awful government policies and inaction.
But, of course, the current government handily uses ‘far right’ or ‘far right talking points’ to try to deligetimise any criticisms of their policies and failings so they don’t have to actually deal with the criticisms and can just pursue the same reckless course they are on.
The same government advocated for a yes vote in the family referendum and widely assured the public it would have absolutely no impact on immigration (Micheal Martin, Varadkar and all party leaders) when freedom of information requests explicitly revealed they had detailed legal advice prior to this telling them a yes vote would effectively mean they would completely lose control of their ability to manage our immigration system in any way. They quite deliberately chose to lie to the public about that.
They also announced the biggest expansion of the work permit system in the state in December 2023 after a record population increase. It seems they insist on trying to maintain the current unsustainable figures regardless of the criticisms or what the polls say.
I’m of the opinion that all are welcome.
Do I have concerns…yes, but in terms of available housing, GP spots, school places etc. We haven’t come to secondary school yet with our kids. But people around Ballyfermot sayin x amount of spaces for Ukrainians in the primary & secondary school here. . And I don’t want to feed into that narrative. But I would love m,y eldest to go to Kylemore college, but there are only 150 places. So if that is happening my son has no chance.
But who cleans the offices of where I work, the hospitals, the nurses, the doctors (shout out to the lovely consultant in laya is so lovely and kind). The servers and people in shops who get abuse.
They all have different way of contributing to society. They want to work unlike the far right who can riot at 2pm in the middle of the week.
But I can still worry about things and not go riot!
Just do the same as Australia, Canada, NZ etc.
If you have a genuine claim for asylum – You are welcome. We will help you.
If you have one of the skills that we have a shortage for – You are welcome.
If you rock up at Dublin Airport off a flight from Manchester with no passport, no VISA, no documents, no skills and no money and the first question you ask is “Where do I sign up for social welfare and housing” – You are not welcome.
That is not racism.
Ah McDowell gearing up for his “common sense” populist presidential campaign I see.
Someone is gearing up for a run at the general election.
Like grandfather like grandson
Absolutes on both sides, no middle ground. American politics
McDowell would rather kick at immigrants than improve services though. His vision is ultimately a race to the bottom that will leave everyone worse off
I hear you’re a racist now father.
You can’t live in a world based on exploitation, where you can buy cheap clothes, food, technology etc, because they were made by 10 years olds being paid a bowl of rice for working 16 hours a day, and then turn around and say “I don’t want these people who want to climb the ladder coming in the country”.
And that goes for the whole of the Western world, we built our bed on exploitation, you all had it fairly cushy for a few decades, and now said people from the bottom of the ladder want a piece of the pie.
Capitalism is competitive by nature, and you all will be made to compete, deal with it.
the emigration is not uncontrolled it isn’t open borders this grouping (that is “not far right”) conflating asylum seekers and immigrants as the same thing and certainly seem to hang around with people who are far right.
Also I want to know who is funding these people