Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The unjustifiable murder of George Floyd has sparked a long overdue conversation on an important issue, that is, racism. While prejudice, discrimination and antagonism are evidently indisputable in the US, the Irish are not as innocent as we make ourselves out to be. In recent months, I have been disappointed to hear people saying that racism does not exist in Ireland. Have they forgotten about the thousands of people who are living in direct provision and are marginalised in those centres? Have they forgotten those who are forced to share rooms with people who are usually strangers? This was even before we add concerns about Covid-19 to the equation. Have they forgotten that asylum seekers are refused jobs and spend years in centres only to be deported? Have they forgotten that some people who are born and raised in Ireland are not granted automatic citizenship due to racist beliefs and fears?

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Have they forgotten about the thousands of black citizens who are told to go back to their own countries every day? These are only a few examples.

My point is that injustice, inequality and racism are prevalent in Ireland. I encourage everybody to continue to support this fight for justice. We must continue to educate ourselves, campaign, donate, sign petitions and get involved in politics and advocacy long after the hashtag ends. This is not just a trend on Twitter or Instagram, it is real life and it is the difference between life and death for many, as we have seen. If we have to start somewhere, why should it not be in our own country? Let us abolish direct provision. What is outlined in this regard in the programme for Government is a positive step forward. It is really important that we monitor progress on that commitment. The direct provision centres deny asylum seekers basic human rights while, at the same time, isolating them from the rest of the community. It is wrong to preach about racism and injustice in Ireland when, in practice, we are doing very little to change it. We must stand in solidarity with those who are being discriminated against and we must fight institutional racism together. It is not enough to be not racist; we must be anti-racist and we must act now to end direct provision. There is no strength without unity. Those words give me hope because they were written and sent to me by my daughter recently. Young people really give me hope for the future and a belief that we will defeat racism.

When we acknowledge that we want our citizens to be anti-racist, it is, of course, understandable. It is something that we must strive for. However, in the international arena, Ireland is not anti-racist. We are not anti-racist when we refuse to stand up to the racist state that is Israel. We must be anti-racist and challenge the apartheid, terror state that is Israel.

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