Sharply divergent public attitudes towards the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers are reflected in findings by an Irish Times/MRBI opinion poll. They indicate how finely balanced public opinion is on this delicate and potentially explosive social issue. And they emphasise how important firm political leadership will be as we move towards the establishment of humanitarian structures and a more inclusive society. An anxiety to improve the official treatment of such people, given our own history of emigration and our current prosperity, comes through strongly in the survey.
There is, however, no disguising the unwillingness of Irish people to allow an `open door' policy to refugees and asylum seekers. Almost three-quarters of those questioned (74 per cent) felt the number of refugees coming into the country should be strictly limited, while 17 per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed with that proposition. Such an attitude is hardly surprising, given the sudden influx of asylum seekers, with annual applications rising from 362 to about 7,000 in a fiveyear period. The greatest resistance to admitting a higher number of refugees was found in Dublin and amongst working class voters, where contact with migrants has been greatest.
While the great majority of people would like to see refugee numbers strictly limited, they are also unhappy at the way in which refugees have been treated by officialdom. By a margin of two-to-one, they believe that a more generous approach should be brought to bear on this humanitarian issue. This view is particularly strongly held in the Leinster and Munster regions and amongst younger people. A small majority - 49 to 42 per cent - rejects the notion that asylum should only be granted to those qualified to fill specific jobs. Resistance in that area could reflect increasing competition for unskilled jobs as a significant difference emerged in the reaction of middle class and working class respondents to the question. One of the striking findings of the poll was the gap between some politicians and their support base on the subject. While Minister of State, Ms Liz O'Donnell, has been largely responsible for moving the issue up the Coalition Government's agenda, Progressive Democrats supporters are most concerned to limit the number of refugees and to admit only qualified individuals. By contrast, Fianna Fail voters adopt a much more humane attitude, in spite of the strident language of some of the party's elected representatives.
The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, is in the process of recruiting extra staff to deal with the backlog of applicants. And asylum seekers are being dispersed around the country in an effort to take pressure off Dublin. But last week's resignation of the longest serving refugee appeals adjudicator, Mr Peter Finlay SC, because he felt the fundamental rights of refugees were not being observed by the State is a serious development. Given Mr Finlay's criticisms and action, along with the public desire for a more generous approach to asylum seekers and immigrants, the Government should further modify the traditional, negative response of the Department of Justice.