As in any war civilians are always the least deserving yet most affected by the actions of a country or number of countries' so-called leaders and the Ukrainian people are no exception.
Russian people protesting against the war have also suffered at the hands of Putin’s police in much the same way as US protestors against the Vietnam War were attacked and even shot by the US authorities. For years the twenty-six-county administration showed only minor interest towards people fleeing persecution from the Yemen, Palestine and a number of other war-torn lands. Suddenly, and possibly because it was the big bad Russian Bear who was the aggressor and the US Eagle flexed its wings the Dail Government jumped obediently to attention. The what amounted to an open-door policy, without any long-term strategic plan, was adopted and Ukrainian protection seekers were treated better than those of other countries it became obvious problems would arise.
At first the Irish people were welcoming, as were those of Germany some years previous when Chancellor Angela Merkel had a similar policy of an ‘open door’ invitation to refugees. This welcoming has turned in many cases to resentment and even, in a minority of cases, hatred. The Irish far-right are on the ascendancy as support for their hidden fascist and racist policies grow among the politically illiterate, and they are in turn in cohorts with the British far-right. For example, Herman Kelly, leader of the right-wing Irish Freedom Party was once the Press Secretary to Nigel Farage, the founder of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). For those who are unaware the United Kingdom, unlike Britain, includes the six counties or, as they call it “Northern Ireland” - meaning Britain retains sovereignty over that part of the island of Ireland! By supporting Kelly it must follow that these supporters must accept the loss of the six counties, Good Friday Agreement (GFA) or none. These are not issues which can be cherry picked. Of course, Kelly will not mention his friendship with the British far-right in his hate filled racist rants as it would certainly not serve his purpose. Another leading far-right, even neo-Nazi leading light, in the twenty-six counties is Justin Barrett. Barrett is reported to have attended a neo-Nazi rally in Germany as a guest of Alternative for Deutschland (AFD), the neo-Nazi party largely attributed to many Germans' change of heart over Merkel’s policies regarding refugees and asylum seekers, and gave a Nazi salute. These are the people who are fuelling the racism which is unfortunately evolving in Irish society. Early genuine community concerns, due to lack of consultation by the government, are turning into racial hatred in many cases.
As the far-right gain support among the population grows the Dail parties, all of them including former republicans in Sinn Fein, also move to the right. Not the far-right, granted, but all their positions have changed from welcoming these people to minor hostility. This rightwards conveyor belt will not stop. We have a problem with the potential rise of fascism looming larger. Noticeably the left, true to form, have little or no opposition to the fascists which is always the case when the far-right mobilise. A few weeks ago I watched a pro-Palestinian march in Dublin. It was, rightly so, well attended with a man leading it dancing the fandango with a microphone. I personally thought he looked a fucking idiot but the theme of the march was just against Israeli genocide. What a great pity the organisers of such marches against far-right Israeli polices cannot mobilise in the same numbers against the far-right here in Ireland, North and South! Both the governing parties in the Dail and all the opposition parties and groups do not know if they are having a shit, shave, or shower over this crisis very much of their own making.
We now are seeing posters demanding the closure of the ‘border’, which would possibly be in breach of the GFA. The twenty-six-county government made a huge issue, rightly so, over keeping the border open in line with the GFA after so-called Brexit. They are now blaming this ‘open border’ which is seen by numerous TDs for allowing “illegal immigrants” from the UK into this jurisdiction which has helped fuel these demands to ‘close the border.’ Do these people not realise closing the border would play right into the British hands and particularly UK unionists like Farage. If such a closure were ever to come about, and if it is in breach of the GFA, then a precedent has been set to break every move towards eventual unification, fragile as they are, in the ‘Agreement’! The likes of Farage, aided by Kelly over here, both eager to have the twenty-six counties out of the EU, and, unwittingly, or otherwise, his supporters, would milk such a move unmercifully and possibly kiss goodbye to a united Ireland.
As the far-right gain support among the population grows the Dail parties, all of them including former republicans in Sinn Fein, also move to the right. Not the far-right, granted, but all their positions have changed from welcoming these people to minor hostility. This rightwards conveyor belt will not stop. We have a problem with the potential rise of fascism looming larger. Noticeably the left, true to form, have little or no opposition to the fascists which is always the case when the far-right mobilise. A few weeks ago I watched a pro-Palestinian march in Dublin. It was, rightly so, well attended with a man leading it dancing the fandango with a microphone. I personally thought he looked a fucking idiot but the theme of the march was just against Israeli genocide. What a great pity the organisers of such marches against far-right Israeli polices cannot mobilise in the same numbers against the far-right here in Ireland, North and South! Both the governing parties in the Dail and all the opposition parties and groups do not know if they are having a shit, shave, or shower over this crisis very much of their own making.
We now are seeing posters demanding the closure of the ‘border’, which would possibly be in breach of the GFA. The twenty-six-county government made a huge issue, rightly so, over keeping the border open in line with the GFA after so-called Brexit. They are now blaming this ‘open border’ which is seen by numerous TDs for allowing “illegal immigrants” from the UK into this jurisdiction which has helped fuel these demands to ‘close the border.’ Do these people not realise closing the border would play right into the British hands and particularly UK unionists like Farage. If such a closure were ever to come about, and if it is in breach of the GFA, then a precedent has been set to break every move towards eventual unification, fragile as they are, in the ‘Agreement’! The likes of Farage, aided by Kelly over here, both eager to have the twenty-six counties out of the EU, and, unwittingly, or otherwise, his supporters, would milk such a move unmercifully and possibly kiss goodbye to a united Ireland.
From my own position as a socialist and republican I don’t want a border at all, open or closed - end of.
Now the Dail Government want to do a deal with their British counterparts about returning these “illegal immigrants” to the UK. The Westminster Government have shown little or no interest in such proposals as they claim only to ‘deal with the EU’. As Ireland is an EU state and as the Union has shown little appetite for Britain's request to ‘return the boats’ back to France, another EU state, they are saying they will not do a deal with an individual EU state only the EU as a whole. Of course, if ‘Ireland’ were to leave the EU perhaps a deal could be done! Could this be their hidden agenda? Technically since England decided everybody else in the so-called UK must leave the EU Britain has a point it is or was the Irish who wanted an open border, insisting on it and rightly so. The government here keep harping on about the ‘free travel area’ which applies to British and Irish citizens been able to move freely without a passport (unless flying with Ryanair who consider themselves above all such agreements). This agreement cannot be invoked because these supposed “illegal immigrants” are neither British or Irish citizens!
Adding to the Dail's problems the High Court has deemed the UK an unsafe country meaning, essentially, any “illegal” returned to the UK are in reality being sent to Rwanda considered by many countries to be unsafe. Therefore since British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, pushed his Rwanda Bill through the Houses of Parliament it deems, in the eyes of some including ‘Ireland’, on a legal basis, the UK to be unsafe. The Dail tried to push through a Bill reversing the decision it itself made declaring the UK unsafe to redesignate it safe. However, it is not that simple, it is the law which must be changed and not the whim of the government and that is not as clear cut as it appears. The High Court ruling still stands and there is nothing the Dail can do about it, certainly not in the short term. Perhaps they are hoping for a Labour administration in Britain which may be more sympathetic to Ireland's case. Such an administration has in its manifesto pledged to get rid of the Rwanda Bill, or Act.
It is true, we are seeing eyesores all over Dublin with tents and unhygienic campsites springing up across the city. Naturally people are getting pissed off with these abominations and are once again listening to the far-right. The sites are unhygienic and breeding grounds for disease. And again, rightly so, people do not want their families, particularly the very young and very old, open to such diseases. Neither is it the fault of those unfortunate enough to have to live under such conditions. The what amounted to an ‘open door’ policy is backfiring, not only here in the twenty-six-counties but across the EU. The annoying thing is all this could, and should have been avoided. A common policy throughout the European Union member states which should have been in place could have averted these problems and given the far-right no space to operate and exploit.
Most people fleeing war torn countries wish one day to return, therefore short-term clean, comfortable, living accommodation could and should have been provided. Each EU member state should have stated how many people seeking international protection they could cater for, which does not mean making them live in tents. For example, and this is an arbitrary figure we here in the twenty-six could take say 100,000 to 150,000, and not only Ukrainians. France twice that number Germany the same whereas Luxemburg probably around 50,000 and so on according to a country’s size. Each country could decide how best to put this plan into operation and, as I have alluded to previously in TPQ, the most obvious way is the build prefabricated homes. Britain did this after the Second World War (it seems nothing has been learnt from history when countries turned their backs on persecuted peoples fleeing Nazi Germany) on a massive scale so such a move would have been cheap, quick and temporary here. These ‘prefabs’ would be fully plumbed in and electrified within reasonable access to shopping centres and civic amenities. Far from perfect, I know, but compared with this mess and the threat of the hate filled far-right, to say nothing of other diseases, it sounds good to me.
How has Ireland, a once welcoming country, become such a racist potential hotbed? I believe in a perfect world of international brotherhood (international socialism). Everybody should be able to live in peace wherever they wish, as around 100 million Irish people and their descendants are doing now. Where would Ireland have been back in the 19th century if every country had closed their doors on us? Only the English ruling classes, not by any means all of them, turned their backs on Ireland and her peoples. What right have we got to turn our backs on others fleeing persecution now?
It is true, we are seeing eyesores all over Dublin with tents and unhygienic campsites springing up across the city. Naturally people are getting pissed off with these abominations and are once again listening to the far-right. The sites are unhygienic and breeding grounds for disease. And again, rightly so, people do not want their families, particularly the very young and very old, open to such diseases. Neither is it the fault of those unfortunate enough to have to live under such conditions. The what amounted to an ‘open door’ policy is backfiring, not only here in the twenty-six-counties but across the EU. The annoying thing is all this could, and should have been avoided. A common policy throughout the European Union member states which should have been in place could have averted these problems and given the far-right no space to operate and exploit.
Most people fleeing war torn countries wish one day to return, therefore short-term clean, comfortable, living accommodation could and should have been provided. Each EU member state should have stated how many people seeking international protection they could cater for, which does not mean making them live in tents. For example, and this is an arbitrary figure we here in the twenty-six could take say 100,000 to 150,000, and not only Ukrainians. France twice that number Germany the same whereas Luxemburg probably around 50,000 and so on according to a country’s size. Each country could decide how best to put this plan into operation and, as I have alluded to previously in TPQ, the most obvious way is the build prefabricated homes. Britain did this after the Second World War (it seems nothing has been learnt from history when countries turned their backs on persecuted peoples fleeing Nazi Germany) on a massive scale so such a move would have been cheap, quick and temporary here. These ‘prefabs’ would be fully plumbed in and electrified within reasonable access to shopping centres and civic amenities. Far from perfect, I know, but compared with this mess and the threat of the hate filled far-right, to say nothing of other diseases, it sounds good to me.
How has Ireland, a once welcoming country, become such a racist potential hotbed? I believe in a perfect world of international brotherhood (international socialism). Everybody should be able to live in peace wherever they wish, as around 100 million Irish people and their descendants are doing now. Where would Ireland have been back in the 19th century if every country had closed their doors on us? Only the English ruling classes, not by any means all of them, turned their backs on Ireland and her peoples. What right have we got to turn our backs on others fleeing persecution now?
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| Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist. |
Gary Donnelly touches on the theme in his oration
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