The plight of migrants sleeping in tents is putting Ireland’s reputation as a “caring nation” at risk, a Fine Gael TD has claimed.
Over the weekend, a number of asylum seekers sleeping along the Grand Canal had their tents damaged; Gardaí are currently investigating.
Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Kildare North TD Bernard Durkan said Irish people should feel inherently sympathetic towards destitute migrants.
“Don’t let's forget that we were for centuries economic immigrants ourselves,” he said.
“And that has been regularly pointed out to us.”
Asylum seekers in tents at Grand Canal, 10/05/2024. Image: John KeoghThis year, the number of asylum seekers arriving in Ireland has increased by 95% in comparison to the same period in 2023.
The State has struggled to source adequate accommodation for the new arrivals but Deputy Durkan believes there are solutions.
“We have a lot of empty accommodation that could be made available in order to avert the situation that prevails at the moment - literally - on the ground,” he said.
“We have been heralded as a caring nation, a Céad Míle Fáilte nation internationally; it’s not so evident at the moment in some quarters and we better realise that.
“We should be more understanding of their particular plight.”
Tomorrow, the Cabinet will consider whether social welfare payments to asylum seekers should be cut to bring Ireland more into line with other European countries.
However, Deputy Durkan believes this fails to address the fundamental issue behind people’s decision to seek asylum.
“If the purpose of the exercise is to discourage people from coming here for social welfare benefits, it may work,” he said.
“But there’s a bigger issue there and the bigger issue is what compels people to travel, to leave their own country and to seek a better world elsewhere.
“That’s a fundamental issue that goes right across the globe at the moment.”
Last year, 13,277 people arrived in Ireland seeking asylum.
Main image: Tents by the Grand Canal. Image: Sasko Lazarov / © RollingNews.ie
