biko wrote: » As long as Ireland doesn't have a immigration referendum to guide the politicians they can easily be pushed around by EU bureaucrats or opinion writers in the Journal.
TheCitizen wrote: » An immigration referendum? Who's calling for that exactly? Great idea every dog whistler in the country will be all over it
[Deleted User] wrote: » Oh. back again? hmm.. care to follow up and answer the questions put to you after your last insightful and pleasant contributions? As for "every dog whistler", how would that work exactly? (nope, we don't need references to the US... stick to Ireland) We don't have any historic racism against anyone, nor do we have any racial superiority groups as such, except what's 'supposedly' been imported from Britain. Who exactly would be listening out for this dog whistling, and why would they have any real influence in deciding anything...? Or is this more of the alarmist (and never backed up) rhetoric about right wing supremacists that are somehow popping up around Ireland? Or could it just be that Irish people might be sick of the current/past attitude to migration, and you'd like to shut down any suggestion that they might want to express themselves on the topic? After all, you seem to be suggesting that such an expression would be racist.. (although I'm still waiting for a proper explanation on how that works)
TheCitizen wrote: » I don’t live on here like some on here appear to. The irony that you accuse me of not answering questions put to me in a post where You just totally swerved the question I asked. Who us asking for a Referendum on immigration, where did that daft idea come from exactly? Hmmmm
TheCitizen wrote: » Who us asking for a Referendum on immigration, where did that daft idea come from exactly? Hmmmm
_Kaiser_ wrote: » GENUINE refugees... absolutely should we help - temporarily and only insofar as is sustainable and practical! Once the UN or WHO or whoever determines the danger in their homelands is over, they should be sent back, or apply through the existing options for residency.
Pixel Eater wrote: » Having a citizenship test would be a pretty simple device to help with integration. Applicants would need to know a basic knowledge of the history, culture and language of the country; it's crazy that we don't have one. I heard a long while ago that one was being looked at; is there any plan to implement one?
Sand wrote: » I'm not in favour of exam style citizenship tests. It lends itself to a mindset that being Irish is a matter of meeting fixed, unchanging criteria that anyone in the world can meet. I.E. Is a person who speaks Irish fluently more Irish than someone who is not? Is a person who plays hurling more Irish than someone who is not? Is someone who drinks Guinness more Irish than someone who does not? It gets even worse if you try to define 'Irish values' people must hold. Ethnic groups, including the Irish, aren't fixed. We evolve and change and learn over time. What remains fixed and consistent is common ancestry of that ethnic group. People are Irish because they have Irish ancestry, identify as being Irish and are accepted as being Irish by others. Our state recognizes this concept because Irish citizenship is primarily achieved by having an Irish parent, regardless of where you are born. I could live in Japan all my life, and never be Japanese because I don't share any ancestry with the Japanese people. Even if I learned to speak the language and immersed myself in their culture I'd still be Irish. Citizenship is a slightly different matter as it relates to the state, not to the nation. But Ireland is the nation-state of the Irish people. If the state doesn't exist to represent and protect Irish people then its pointless. So citizenship has to be primarily linked with the Irish people. I don't think citizenship cant be extended to non-Irish people but it is hardly ever necessary. EU citizens have full rights on the basis of their own citizenship. Non-EU Refugees will return home when they crisis ends. Anyone who wants to remain in Ireland can simply apply for it.
Deleted User wrote: » Well, that one is pretty obvious. biko did. So, that's a no, then.... Not answering the questions put to you, or backing up your statements. Nope, it's fair enough. I'm glad that we can identify you as someone we shouldn't spend any time giving decent answers to. You're just here to make statements and move away. okie dokie.
TheCitizen wrote: » Aye, I’ll make a statement and move away when I like and certainly won’t waste my precious time arguing in circles and seeking Thanks on here.
suicide_circus wrote: » I'd setting for a coherent policy around asylum, particularly where applicants have bypassed multiple safe countries before reaching Ireland.
irishblessing wrote: » I have just finished reading about the fires in the west of the US this morning- over 100,000 displaced in evacuations or towns burning to the ground. So many with nowhere to go. Many more still are currently evacuating or sitting ready for the call to go. US cities in Oregon have the worst air quality in the world right now. Climate change appears to be the underlying driving factor.
And then the migrant camp fire in Lesbos-which was set intentionally but all the innocent people not responsible for that are having to run for their lives and displaced once again. Where will these people go?
Topping off a lovely read of the news this morning, scientists are saying that the fires in the Amazon have caused the "lungs of the earth" to nearly be at a 'point of no return.' Faaaawwk.
You can talk about migrants only being allowed in to other countries if they fill a skill gap, but at the end of the day we're all human beings. The earth isn't going to sustain us if we carry on like this for much longer.
Before you take a cold position of "no dice" when it comes to other human beings surviving or thriving,
you'd want to be certain we the people of Ireland will never find ourselves (again) needing to leave to survive. But that's not a reassurance anyone can give, can they? Maybe some of you should ask yourselves what kind of help you'd be hoping for if the shoe were on the other foot. You'd better hope the skills you have are needed in some other country with that shortage and opening or else you're SOL? Human lives are inherently valuable and have the potential to positively contribute wherever they are no matter what's on their CV.
Anyone remember the story about the "human Spiderman," the migrant who was given French citizenship after scaling a building to save a dangling child? These stories of migrant humans helping humans are everywhere.
irishblessing wrote: » The earth isn't going to sustain us if we carry on like this for much longer.
Deleted User wrote: » Sure, they do.. they're US citizens, so the Federal government should provide. They're also one of the wealthiest countries in the world, so perhaps their population can stop concerning themselves with minor issues, and consider helping out their fellow citizens. Why the assumption that there are innocent people? Perhaps they voted on it happening. Twice. And if not, then, do we really want these people here? As to where they could go... back into the M.East, Africa, or Asia. Yeah, I've been hearing that for twenty years, and yet, the same claim pops up again every few years. It could be true. Don't really care, since I can't influence it, one way or another. I don't get this contradictory attitude. You harp on about climate change, and then tell us that we should be allowing migrants into Europe, regardless of whether they have the skills to be successful or not. You do realise that Europe consumes a rather hefty percentage of the worlds resources, and that it's not just the rich that do so. You're advocating encouraging immigration of people who would add to the drain on European resources, and increase the strain on the economies... thereby, increasing the ecological damage. Actually, by keeping migrants out of Europe, we're decreasing the resources being consumed, and therefore, doing something to help the planet.. Like... come on... think about your argument before making it. Your logic is full of holes. We're all humans... so we should all be poor together before the world ends. Yup. Go on. Quote any poster on this thread who said such a thing. People can thrive and survive outside of western nations. I already live, for the most part, abroad.... based entirely around my education, and skills. Amazing isn't it? And... of absolutely no relevance. Also Easily countered with examples of migrants who committed horrible crimes.
Kivaro wrote: » And Ireland is not able to sustain unlimited migration into the country. The sentiment of your post is probably held by the vast majority of us; we do want to help. But with the way the world is going we just cannot continue to have mass inward influx of migration into Ireland; both legal and illegal. Where is the cut off? Do we accept 1 million, 2 million migrants, or more? Our services are already stretched to the limit with health, education, and housing, and the massive social welfare bill is a ticking time-bomb. The substantial underestimating of the cost for Direct Provisioning in Ireland for 2020 is a good example of where the country is heading with the financial burden that we all have to shoulder. It is now time that Ireland's government concentrates on providing quality of life to the people already in the country. There are millions upon millions of people who want to come here from Africa, the Indian sub-continent, and the far east. It would be economical and cultural suicide to allow this to happen.
irishblessing wrote: » The federal government providing... :pac::pac::pac: The people of the US have received ONE payment of 1200 dollars since the pandemic began and a massive backlog of processing unemployment payments. Nearly three quarters of people in the US are one pay check away from homelessness and utter disaster. The richest country in the world provides for their military prowess and the top 1%. "They" voted for. Hilary Clinton actually, nearly 3million more people did. Do you not know this?
Yeah, I'm advocating for humanity and humaneness. Guilty as charged. Think about your own compassionate holes why don't you.
Before you get too smug about your amazing skills that allow you to live abroad, consider the fact that you received an education in a country that safely supported you to do so. Many don't have that opportunity.
irishblessing wrote: » Before you take a cold position of "no dice" when it comes to other human beings surviving or thriving, you'd want to be certain we the people of Ireland will never find ourselves (again) needing to leave to survive. But that's not a reassurance anyone can give, can they? Maybe some of you should ask yourselves what kind of help you'd be hoping for if the shoe were on the other foot. You'd better hope the skills you have are needed in some other country with that shortage and opening or else you're SOL? Human lives are inherently valuable and have the potential to positively contribute wherever they are no matter what's on their CV.
Deleted User wrote: » If things went bad here we wont be looking to move to Nigeria or Pakistan or Bangladesh. We would likely end up in countries nearby or in countries we have a history with.
irishblessing wrote: » I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. How would it help to go to a country without economic or safe supports in place. The point is, as you allude to is that we would need to go somewhere but also within your point, is an absolute expectation to "most likely end up" somewhere.
[Deleted User] wrote: » What will your migrants lacking the skills/education to be employed do in Ireland? Considering that Ireland is one of the most expensive countries in Europe to live in. Come on... show me that you can be practical, and consider the long term health of/success for these migrants. (Considering that those on the lower end of the economy are already struggling... importing more people to avail of those jobs, will simply make the situation for those people worse)
irishblessing wrote: » You can talk about migrants only being allowed in to other countries if they fill a skill gap, but at the end of the day we're all human beings. The earth isn't going to sustain us if we carry on like this for much longer. Before you take a cold position of "no dice" when it comes to other human beings surviving or thriving...
irishblessing wrote: » Yeah, I'm advocating for humanity and humaneness. Guilty as charged. Think about your own compassionate holes why don't you.