Madam, - Asylum-seekers and illegal immigrants coming to Ireland usually come from a background of deprivation in various forms. They may come because of a denial of human rights, the fear of forced marriages, sex trafficking, the fear of children being conscripted as child soldiers, the certitude of female genital mutilation or to escape the horrors of a war-torn society.
Irish people who emigrated illegally to the US in the 1980s left a country with high unemployment but with the availability of social welfare to help them over this difficult decade. Yes, they went in search of a better life, like present-day illegal immigrants to Ireland, but they were not suffering persecution or the denial of their human rights.
Therefore, I take issue with Denis Murphy (March 24th) who claims that the position of illegal immigrants in Ireland is an unrelated issue to that of undocumented Irish in the US. The two situations are related insofar as both groups are "illegal". And the same Irish Government that continues its efforts to legalise the illegal Irish in the US adopts a very different policy to illegal people in Ireland. Deport them. Split up families. Send people back to countries where false imprisonment and even torture are waiting for them.
We have seen much evidence of the benefits to an insular society of having a greater mix of nationalities in our midst. We are frequently reminded of the great economic miracle that has happened in Ireland in the recent past. Why are we so miserly in sharing this wealth with some of the most deserving of humanity? It was fine to help "black babies" as long as they stayed in Africa. It becomes another story when these now grown people want to live among us.
When will our Government ever wake up to a truly humanitarian policy? - Yours, etc,
KATHLEEN FORDE, Iveragh Road, Gaeltacht Park, Dublin 9.