Mick Clifford: Sinn Féin chasing votes in the gutter of lies
Sinn Féin is using the EU's Asylum and Migration Pact to issue its dog whistle. Picture: Damien Storan/PA Wire
On Wednesday, the European parliament votes on the Asylum and Migration Pact.
The pact represents a tightening up of the rules for applying for asylum in the EU.
It is based on “fair responsibility sharing and updated rules”, according to the parliament.
The vote is expected to pass comfortably.
For most countries, this is regarded as an attempt to head off the rise in far-right politics, which seeks to exploit immigration as a political tool.
Human rights groups have been critical of the pact, suggesting it will curtail rights for asylum seekers.
A number of these groups, including Amnesty International, Oxfam, and Save The Children, have penned an open letter saying that the pact would create “a cruel system” that is unworkable.
Ireland, along with Denmark, has the option of staying out.
However, the Government, apparently, feels that it would be more in the country’s interests to opt in.
Last Saturday, Labour’s Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said on RTÉ Radio that his party is generally in favour of opting in, notwithstanding human rights concerns.
The Social Democrats and People Before Profit have yet to decide, but if they don’t opt in, it will most likely be on the basis of the human rights concerns.
Then there are the independents, some of whom have been really exercised about asylum seekers in recent months.
Mattie McGrath, leader of the Rural Independents, is dead set against the pact.
His objections have nothing to do with the human rights of people fleeing war, he is worried about how it might impact Irish “sovereignty”.
Mr McGrath wants the people to have their say on something or other to do with asylum seekers.
“I renew my call for a referendum on immigration to ensure the voices of the Irish people are heard,” he said.
This can only refer to the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
The convention obliges states to admit asylum seekers before deciding on whether they merit protection.
The only non-signatories are from the Middle East and Southeast Asia, countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Mongolia.
Independent TD Verona Murphy said on the RTÉ programme on Monday that we should have a referendum on the pact.
The chances of any such a vote concentrating on the actual details of the pact is somewhere between nil and zero.
A quick look at our near neighbour suggests that opting out would result in an increase in asylum seekers coming here.
In Britain, there were 30,6103 applications in 2016, the year of the Brexit vote, which was driven mainly by fears over increased immigration.
By last year, the number of asylum seekers had more than doubled to 67,337.
But facts are usually missing when this topic is discussed.
All that matters for some politicians is that they sound like they are feeling the anger and reflecting it.
That such anger might be misplaced or based on misinformation is conveniently ignored.
For the independent TDs who surf this anger, there is no downside as they will never have to govern or implement policies.
Different rules apply to parties who govern or aspire to do so.
In that vein, the positioning of the most popular party in the State is deeply worrying.
Until recently, Sinn Féin had a solid track record in defending minorities.
This stretched back 25 years to another time when the issue of asylum seekers was a hot topic.
In 1999, the government of the day instigated a policy of direct provision to minimise the “pull factor” alleged to be drawing people to the State. Sinn Féin opposed it.
The very same year, the party set out in its local election manifesto that we should welcome everybody to our shores, calling for “an open door policy for immigrants and asylum seekers, particularly political refugees”.
That attitude, while modified over the years, persisted through the aftermath of the 2008 economic collapse and ensured that right-wing populism did not sprout up in the working-class communities where Sinn Féin held sway. But no more.
Sinn Féin is opposed to the EU pact but not over concerns for the human rights of asylum seekers.
The release calling for an opt-out from the party’s justice spokesperson Pa Daly began: “Sinn Féin are opposed to open borders”.
There are no open borders in the Western world. No state or any other international body advocates for open borders.
The term is a product of the nefarious actors online, known as the far right, spreading misinformation.
Open borders is a term used exclusively by those wishing to project a notion that the Government has no control over immigration, and the only people who can be trusted are those who spread anger and hate on the far right.
Why would Sinn Féin parrot such a term in the opening of its objection to the EU pact other than to chase votes into the gutter of lies and misinformation?
The party says it would opt into two of the seven measures.
The other measures are “not helpful and would see the EU over-step its remit into areas of Irish sovereignty”.
Throwing in the word “sovereignty” is another nod to those who retail and consume misinformation on matters around immigration.
It plays into the notion that global forces are dictating and encouraging the flow of asylum seekers into wealthy countries.
This is manna for the far-right elements but totally new ground for a party that once portrayed itself as socialist.
There is a method to this lurch by Sinn Féin from left to right populism.
The party has been losing ground to independents.
For a few years after the 2020 election, it looked as if Sinn Féin were odds-on to lead the next government but that prospect had faded somewhat as their poll numbers declined.
One reason for the decline, and there are probably a few, is that some voters are flocking to independents who are issuing dog whistles and expressing anger about asylum seekers.
Now, Sinn Féin wants them back and appears to be willing to go to extreme lengths of pandering to those spreading misinformation to do so.
Two issues arise from this sharp turn to the right for Sinn Féin. It is difficult to believe that all within the party are happy with it.
Some of their frontline operators must surely retain fidelity to the social justice norms of the party’s most recent incarnation.
The other issue is far more worrying. Until now, this country was largely insulated from political entities attempting to exploit concerns over immigration.
That would appear to be well and truly over with Sinn Féin using the EU pact to issue its dog whistle. Whether others follow remains to be seen.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
