Ukrainian refugees in Ireland - Megathread

No one - including me - has suggested that we shouldn't help genuine refugees.

However, there are LIMITS to the help we can sustainably offer. At the end of the day we are a small island nation of 5 million with huge domestic problems around the provision of essential services to our citizens - housing, health, a massive disconnect between those who get all the subsidies, and those who work and get little to nothing for their efforts.. Etc

There is nothing to be achieved by ignoring that, nor ignoring the reality that importing 40,000 extra people (to date) who will absolutely be dependent on those same services will absolutely make the situation worse for all - including them!

It's now abundantly clear that our charity and generosity towards these genuine refugees is being abused by not just Ukranians in search of a better life, but people from other countries as well!

It's also not unfair or unreasonable for citizens and natives to expect that they should come first in access to these services, or expect some sort of measurable return for their taxes and work. That's not racist, xenophobic or unfair. It's the basis of a decent society - you work, you contribute, you see your taxes put to good use, you have a safety net there if you need it.

To suggest that all this can just be somehow ignored or will work itself out is just fantasy. The longer it goes on, the worse it will get for everyone.

Unfortunately that breaking point has already been reached. It's time to stop, to reassess, and to make changes that the "we must do more" types will not like, but which will be ultimately be for EVERYONE'S sake and benefit.

Oh it may be getting late but I'm fully aware that your intent here with this absurd hypothetical is to get me to say I'd send people back to die so you can grandstand some more.

What you call deflection above is actually the reality of the situation, and in that spirit here's some more for you.

1. Your hypothetical people who will die have no reason to be here in the first place facing that choice. There's an enormous amount of land to the west of the conflict zone that is perfectly safe for them. There's also a whole European continent and beyond for them to seek refuge - in short, it's not our responsibility to take in any and all who arrive at our door

2. I will happily admit that I would send back anyone that either...

A. Has arrived here under false pretenses

B. We cannot sustainably support/provide for in the first place

... But see, again, here's the thing. Rejecting them isn't condemning them to death. There's a whole world and home territory for them to go to instead

But, how about you answer these questions..

1. Given that it's now being widely reported that our ability to help has reached its limits, how do you propose to resolve that to enable us to accommodate more?

2. Given that the IT poll today shows a shift in the public mood to having concerns about the approach still being driven by Government, how do you justify that in a democratic Republic? Do the citizens not have a right or say in matters like this?

Given they are the ones expected to pay for, DIRECTLY support and accommodate, and accept being pushed down the queue for the same services these people are being prioritised for, how do you stand over the call for them to "do more" in the current climate?

3. Again, how is pushing already strained or indeed broken services beyond their limits going to help refugees, let alone anyone else?

You cannot escape the reality of the situation no matter how personally uncomfortable you might find it to be.

We've done our part here. MORE than our part. Enough is enough.