11 February 1999 Edition
`Deportation Bill' opposed
Following a recent Supreme Court decison declaring deportations of asylum-seekers under the 1935 Aliens Act as unlawful the Dublin Government has introduced a Bill to give retrospective legitimacy to deportations and to empower it to carry them out in the future.
Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin opposed the Bill in the Dáil on Wednesday. He said Sinn Féin was opposing it because the 1996 Refugee Act had still not been implemented. He said:
``The failure of the government to deal with the issue of immigration, asylum-seekers and refugees in a just and humane manner is demonstrated by the circumstances in which this Bill has been rushed before the Dáil. The government seems more anxious that its proposed deportations of asylum-seekers should proceed than that a proper system of assessment, a fair hearing and fair living and working conditions for those seeking asylum should be put in place speedily.
``I believe this is because the government has its priorities all wrong. The Minister's public statement about the vast majority of asylum-seekers not being genuine refugees prejudged thousands of people and added to the public perception, fostered by irresponsible elements in the media, of tides of immigrants threatening the integrity of Irish society.
``I do not believe that this government is racist but I do believe that its harsh attitude to asylum seekers and its refusal to implement the Refugee Act has sent all the wrong signals to those in our society who are only too eager to foster and exploit xenophobia.
``It is time for the government to put a human face on this issue. I know that the Taoiseach has a personal concern which I saw when I accompanied a delegation from the County Monaghan Roma Support Group to meet him just before Christmas. The Roma community of 47 people living in Castleblayney has been in fear of deportation for some months.
``If the government had acceded to the proposal in this House for an amnesty for those seeking asylum before the full implementation of the Refugee Act it would have created a new atmosphere. That would have been the correct approach to set the scene for new legislation and a new dispensation for all seeking asylum and all immigrants in our country.
``The government unfortunately has also set its face against calls for the right to work and study to be given to asylum-seekers. This is a very reasonable demand which would ease the financial and social burden on asylum-seekers. It would allow many, including highly qualified and diligent people who can contribute to our economy, to come off social welfare.''
Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin opposed the Bill in the Dáil on Wednesday. He said Sinn Féin was opposing it because the 1996 Refugee Act had still not been implemented. He said:
``The failure of the government to deal with the issue of immigration, asylum-seekers and refugees in a just and humane manner is demonstrated by the circumstances in which this Bill has been rushed before the Dáil. The government seems more anxious that its proposed deportations of asylum-seekers should proceed than that a proper system of assessment, a fair hearing and fair living and working conditions for those seeking asylum should be put in place speedily.
``I believe this is because the government has its priorities all wrong. The Minister's public statement about the vast majority of asylum-seekers not being genuine refugees prejudged thousands of people and added to the public perception, fostered by irresponsible elements in the media, of tides of immigrants threatening the integrity of Irish society.
``I do not believe that this government is racist but I do believe that its harsh attitude to asylum seekers and its refusal to implement the Refugee Act has sent all the wrong signals to those in our society who are only too eager to foster and exploit xenophobia.
``It is time for the government to put a human face on this issue. I know that the Taoiseach has a personal concern which I saw when I accompanied a delegation from the County Monaghan Roma Support Group to meet him just before Christmas. The Roma community of 47 people living in Castleblayney has been in fear of deportation for some months.
``If the government had acceded to the proposal in this House for an amnesty for those seeking asylum before the full implementation of the Refugee Act it would have created a new atmosphere. That would have been the correct approach to set the scene for new legislation and a new dispensation for all seeking asylum and all immigrants in our country.
``The government unfortunately has also set its face against calls for the right to work and study to be given to asylum-seekers. This is a very reasonable demand which would ease the financial and social burden on asylum-seekers. It would allow many, including highly qualified and diligent people who can contribute to our economy, to come off social welfare.''