Politicians must temper talk about immigrants

POLITICIANS need to leave behind the inflammatory language blamed for creating fear over immigration, it was claimed yesterday.

Robin Wilson, director of Democratic Dialogue, which works to improve race relations, said tough talking on asylum-seeking from leaders in the North and the Republic made integration even harder.

Mr Wilson said hard-line attitudes and negative language should not be used when discussing refugees, ethnic diversity and immigration. “If leaders north and south were able to give out the language that does positive things, that would make a difference. We need positive language,” he said.

Mr Wilson addressed the launch of a new report, Diversity, Civil Society and Social Change in Ireland, at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin on the problems facing immigrants on both sides of the border.

He said people living in the Republic were facing up to the problem of what it meant to be Irish after the country’s first sustained period of immigration and, in the North, growing levels of ethnic diversity would also create major challenges.

Authors of the report recommended politicians seize the initiative and lead the way forward in improving and promoting integration and cultural diversity.