The political vernacular has taken a dangerous turn in the last few weeks. Before this, there was, with a few dishonourable exceptions, a general pact among most politicians not to exploit fears or concerns over asylum seekers. That’s all changing in an election year and it could lead to a further backlash against not just asylum seekers but all sorts of migrants to this country.
Last weekend Fianna Fáil produced a policy document on migration. One proposal is that asylum seekers convicted of a crime be deported. There is no record of asylum seekers committing crime to any greater extent than the rest of the population. The Garda commissioner and Department of Justice have confirmed this. Why put this proposal out there, as if it was responding to evidence of criminal activity?
This is exclusive subscriber content. Already a subscriber? Sign in
