Ireland General Discussion

[Zinneke]

The scenario you're describing sounds like the opportunity is really, really ripe for anti-immigration parties (or at least parties more skeptical of immigration), but to my knowledge SF does not seem to be dramatically different than the others.

A few years ago that would've been true, but today they might as well be taking their lines from Matteo Salvini or (irony of ironies) UK Conservatives.

Mary Lou McDonald: Ukrainian refugees not working in ‘critical’ jobs should not automatically be allowed to stay

Ukrainian refugees who are not working in ‘critical’ jobs should not automatically be allowed to remain in Ireland beyond March 2025, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said. In a hardening of party policy, the Sinn Féin leader said it was a ‘mistake’ to afford special status to Ukrainians. She said that those without key jobs should be made to apply for asylum – and called for deportations to be expedited.

Vast majority of the EU’s Asylum and Migration Pact is not in Ireland’s interests – Pa Daly TD

Sinn Féin are opposed to open borders. We believe that Ireland needs a well-managed migration system – one that is fair, efficient and enforced. [...] We simply do not have enough beds in our IPAS system to continue accommodating people who should be in other EU countries. [...] We oppose opting-into the remainder of the measures. They are better dealt with at a national level. This is an important issue of sovereignty. It must be for an Irish government to decide on key aspects of our immigration system, including rejecting unsuccessful applicants sooner, compiling our list of safe countries so those who are not genuine asylum seekers can be rejected and to decide what countries Ireland should take refugees from. These are not matters for the EU to dictate to us.

I don't support SF but I'm glad there's more and more parties that are realising the absurdity of giving any and every Ukrainian refugee, many from regions unaffected, complete free pass and special status. It was a disorganised shambles and loads of working age male deserters (let's call them out for what they are) are now living off dole money (5 times the Ukrainian minimum wage) sitting on their arse here or in Ireland. It's mana from heaven for the Salvinis and Vlaams Belangs of this world.

[Zinneke]

It was inevitable that other European countries let Ukrainians in "no questions asked" originally tbf.

(indeed, not just that but arguably morally right too)

But more than two years on, its quite reasonable for people to want a more controlled approach.

No it's not "morally" right to have a complete uninhibited open border policy, to basically allow a single passport to have unfettered access the whole of Europe, to overcrowd public services in some countries but not others, mainly because its not fair on the refugees themselves! It's evidence that the people who design these rules don't listen to people who actually work on the ground processing and dealing with housing, education, etc.

I could give you about 50 anecdotal examples of why letting the Ukrainian passport be a free pass was a terrible idea from my own experience and that of people I know who directly work in the Immigration department of the Interior Ministry of Belgium, who are not your far right bonehead types, but you'll see the next election that the ivory tower liberals will get punished and hopefully it'll make you wake up and smell the coffee.