Sir, - The Minister of Justice has rationalised the fingerprinting of all asylum-seekers on the grounds of improved EU procedures. Fingerprinting is a means of tagging and labelling that is most commonly associated with the criminal justice system. It is an injustice, as a point of principle, to criminalise any asylum-seeker or economic immigrant in an effort to establish their identity. Moreover, putting procedures before principles is downright inhuman.
The real question the Minister for Justice has to answer is on what grounds he deems it tolerable to fingerprint asylum seekers, disallow entry, and deport non-nationals from Ireland. There is absolutely no mandate from the people endorsing the present practice of deporting people from the State. Nowhere is it written that so-many people will be allowed enter the country and so-many not. I want to know what informs the immigration policy of this State. Should I just presume its racism ? - Yours, etc., Brendan Hennessy,
Croaghta Park, Glasheen Road, Cork.