ANYONE WHO has witnessed racial abuse in the street will have some inkling of the distress it can cause. Just as people are reluctant to complain about poor food or inadequate services, however, there is an unfortunate tendency to ignore the incident rather than challenge the abuser.
Such behaviour allows the canker to grow and poison society. Individual courage and civic spirit are required if society is to cherish its residents equally.The Immigrant Council of Ireland has warned of an increase in racial incidents because of a misconception that migrants are benefiting unfairly from Irish jobs, entitlements and public services. Racist abuse ranges from spitting, pushing and beating people to shouting and verbal abuse. Former president Mary Robinson cautioned of the dangers these actions posed to a civilised society and said racist abuse did not arise from a real threat to jobs or livelihoods but represented an effort to find someone to blame for things that had gone wrong.
More than half a million workers came here during the boom years and contributed significantly to the growth and wealth of the economy and to social diversity. Even then, when unemployment was a fraction of what it is today and jobs were readily available, racist attitudes became a cause for concern. In response, all political parties signed up to an anti-racist programme while the Government established structures to provide for migrants’ requirements, their integration and additional school places for children. It has not been enough. Sr Stan Kennedy complained of a lack of clarity on immigration policy and described the system as “chaotic, bureaucratic, cumbersome and lacking in transparency”. It appears that some official and public attitudes will have to change.
A long-term benefit from the Celtic Tiger has been the creation of a multicultural society, with 35,000 newly naturalised citizens and 500,000 immigrants. The great majority are very hard working and wish to make a positive contribution to their adopted country. A relatively small number lack work visas and are vulnerable to exploitation and ill treatment. In that regard, they are no different from the tens of thousands of undocumented Irish in the United States who live in fear of repatriation.
At home, the Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland deals with an estimated 30,000 people and favours the introduction of an earned regularisation scheme. It would not be an amnesty. People would register for the scheme, pay a fine and receive temporary residency status. Individuals could then work their way towards earning permanent residency status through regular employment, paying taxes and contributing to the community. A similar scheme is being sought for Irish emigrants in the United States. Such an approach is both practical and enlightened, offering benefits to society as a whole and to the individuals concerned. Migration will remain one of the few certainties in life. We should learn to live with it and benefit from it.