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| Rory Hearne 11-December-2023 |
Ireland is in a dark place. Riots in Dublin last month exposed to the world the presence of a small, nascent but emboldened far right.
A complex range of factors underlie this: social media conspiracy theories, toxic masculinity, an ugly underbelly of racism and persistent social and economic inequalities. But the far right is also weaponising a decade-long housing and homelessness crisis that afflicts the entire country and has placed thousands of people in a state of chronic housing stress, anxiety and fear.
The riots did not surprise those of us who have been warning about the rise of racism directed at immigrants. We have seen how the housing crisis is used to whip up hate against newly arriving asylum seekers. It doesn’t much matter to those who attack temporary accommodation centres for refugees that such buildings would never become private homes. Their message is that Ireland is “full” and we should house “our own” first.
The truth, however, is that Ireland’s shortage of affordable housing has not been caused by an increase in numbers of immigrants or refugees, but by 30 years of policies that have left delivery to the property market while decimating social housing. My phone pings daily with messages on social media from people who are losing their home. In the past few days, a disabled woman asked me to share her plea for “immediate accommodation”, as she is being evicted. A worker for Dublin city council is being evicted, but he and his family can’t afford any of the rents on flats they have viewed. He told me: “I clean our streets every day, and I haven’t even a home I can clean for myself.”
Continue reading @ Guardian.
The riots did not surprise those of us who have been warning about the rise of racism directed at immigrants. We have seen how the housing crisis is used to whip up hate against newly arriving asylum seekers. It doesn’t much matter to those who attack temporary accommodation centres for refugees that such buildings would never become private homes. Their message is that Ireland is “full” and we should house “our own” first.
The truth, however, is that Ireland’s shortage of affordable housing has not been caused by an increase in numbers of immigrants or refugees, but by 30 years of policies that have left delivery to the property market while decimating social housing. My phone pings daily with messages on social media from people who are losing their home. In the past few days, a disabled woman asked me to share her plea for “immediate accommodation”, as she is being evicted. A worker for Dublin city council is being evicted, but he and his family can’t afford any of the rents on flats they have viewed. He told me: “I clean our streets every day, and I haven’t even a home I can clean for myself.”
Continue reading @ Guardian.
Anyone know the ration of male to female asylum seekers in Ireland? Only asking because I saw a video on YT from Dub that had a bus load of young men. And where are they coming from in the main?
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