We’re fuelling the fires of racism
This was announced at the recent meeting of the Midlands and Southern District Synod of the Methodist Church.
The members of the synod, which represents Methodists in 13 counties in Munster, Leinster and Connacht, expressed serious concern that racism was becoming institutionalised and respectable in this country in a way never before experienced owing to the Government’s failure to implement a consistent, transparent and unambiguous immigration policy.
While we are now being told that we need up to 200,000 immigrant workers each year to keep our economy on track, new legislation introduced over the past few years has made recruitment more difficult, while many of those recruited to our health service and other important sectors have been disillusioned to find promises made to them at variance with the reality on arrival in Ireland.
The present system of issuing work permits to employers instead of employees has also led to insecurity and sometimes domestic slavery, where vulnerable workers have been brought in to work in unscrupulous families with no protection from abuse of their rights in hours, pay or conditions.
The synod also expressed growing concern at the way in which progressively our doors have been closed to legitimate requests for asylum in contravention of our international obligations.
While apparently recognising that those fleeing from life-threatening situations in their countries of origin may not have the correct documentation, the carrier liability legislation has effectively excluded all such unfortunate people or has forced them to seek to obtain false papers, thus becoming illegal immigrants under the law. The rights of all to seek asylum and have their cases processed fairly must be upheld. There have been disturbing reports of refugees asking for asylum and being turned away by immigration officials at our ports and airports or being sent to Mountjoy or Cloverhill and other prisons to await deportation.
There is serious disquiet at the announcement by the Minister of Justice of increased powers for the immigration service and the synod urges the Government to allow independent monitoring of the process at all points of entry.
These measures, with the denial of the right to work and the consequent accusation of being ‘spongers,’ have fuelled the fires of racial hatred and the ‘Know Racism’ programme has been totally ineffective in tackling the problem.
The policy of exclusion is certainly working, to judge by the reduction in the numbers coming to ask for asylum, but justice demands more than simply closing our eyes to the reality of their suffering and washing our hands of any reasonability to them. We are still our ‘brother’s keeper’.
Urgent steps need to be taken to regularise the situation of the 11,000 Irish-born children whose non-national parents applied legitimately for residency under the law before the decision of the Supreme Court in January 2003, many of whom were advised by officials in the Department of Justice to withdraw their claims for asylum to speed up the granting of residency.
The synod questioned the constitutionality of the retrospective implementation of the Supreme Court’s decision and the subsequent changes in Irish law.
Noel Fallows (Rev)
District Secretary
The Methodist Church in Ireland
Midlands and Southern District
Methodist Manse
Irishtown
Mountmellick
Co Laois
