Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)

Go raibh maith agat. I want to speak about migration and the Government’s one-eighty change in tone and policy on immigration. Since the Greens left government, Cabinet members have notably shifted rightward on this, pandering to some of the worst instincts in our otherwise welcoming society. The Government has allowed dangerous rhetoric to obscure its own failures on housing and infrastructure. It is introducing new immigration policies without evidence despite ample evidence of their potential harm to migrant communities in Ireland.

We all hear reports of rising levels of prejudice against immigrants, people of colour and anyone who looks different. We see this in our own communities. We have seen buildings housing asylum seekers and refugees being set alight, including an appalling arson attack in Drogheda, and a man killed last year, Josip Strok, while speaking his native Croatian on a Dublin street. Just now, during the debate on Labour's motion on transgender rights, we spoke about homophobic attacks on the streets.

These violent attacks are rightly condemned by us all but we also need to recognise that policies and rhetoric can contribute to an environment where violence can develop. Words matter when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, as we have all just acknowledged, and when it comes to migrant rights too. What we say as TDs, and what Government Ministers say, really matters.

Last month, the Tánaiste said too many immigrants were arriving into Ireland, wrongly implying that people facing deportation make up a significant share of Ireland’s inward migration. Unfortunately, he was backed by the Taoiseach and others in government. This was really disappointing because we all know what an enormously important and valuable contribution migrant workers make to our society. Our hospitality, tech, health and care sectors all rely heavily on migrant workers. We know this is a reality. Any of us who visit hospitals or care homes will see this. We should express positive recognition of this in our words and actions.

Yesterday, President Zelenskyy addressed a joint sitting of the Oireachtas and we all rightly expressed strong solidarity with the people of Ukraine, but the Government has just stripped financial supports from Ukrainian refugees, and with the backing of some Opposition parties, unfortunately. That cut will disproportionately affect women, children and older people. It does not look like solidarity to us in Labour.

Now, the Government is introducing a mean-spirited rent payment for asylum seekers. This is not a revenue-raising measure. The Minister admits the impacts is unclear. This looks performative. It is nothing more than what we might describe as deterrence theatre, like tightening up the process on citizenship applications or introducing restrictive rules on family reunification. These measures will only make life harder for people who are already suffering hardship and have come here fleeing war and persecution.

The Labour Party calls for a positive, fact-based information campaign on migration. Rather than engaging in a race to the bottom, will the Taoiseach adopt a more positive approach to migration and recognise explicitly the huge contribution made by migrants to Irish society?

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