IRISH issue but craicnet dead - immigration

[Minorityreports]

I've been involved in a facebook discussion about 130 immigrants to be housed in Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim. Locals have been protesting and holding overnight protests/vigils.

My initial reaction was you fucking bigots.

But now my reaction is actually, where the fuck are they putting these people - if anyone knows Leitrim, there is pretty much nothing there in the line of work (if these immigrants even have visas permitting them to work).

Could they not spread them out, in places where they might find work? I'm not sure of the status of the immigrants as their is no article, just a FB headline from a local radio station.

Thoughts anyone? Particularly if you actually know more about their status than I do.

Is housing 130 immigrants in one tiny village/town in the middle of fucking nowhere, a good idea?

No idea on your AIBU

but wanted to say I bloody LOVE Ballinamore, great place :)

Dept. of Justice statement regarding asylum seekers:
In early September 2018, demand for accommodation exceeded the number of bed spaces available in our accommodation centres. As demand continued to rise, the Department sought expressions of interest for emergency temporary accommodation which was advertised in the national media in January of this year.
It should be noted that there are currently 36 emergency accommodation locations all over the country. These emergency centres are temporary and short term in nature pending the opening of new centres. Emergency accommodation is provided through hotels and guest houses. To protect the identification and privacy of applicants and other guests, we do not publicly identify these premises.

Will the local school be able for the influx of kids? How many gp's are there? I can see why people are worried .
At the same time these people have to go somewhere...

As someone implied, they won't all be working, some will be kids attending school etc.

Most asylum seekers can't work right away anyway. They have to wait a while for the right visa.

Are they immigrants or are they asylum seekers OP?

Personally with the rental crisis I'm not sure how they've found enough houses in Leitrim for so many people! But they're not exactly giving people their best start at a new life, are they?

For me there’s a particular irony in Irish people complaining about ‘immigrants’.
You’d think that there might be more sympathy ... and I am Irish BTW.

@Monkeyseesmonkeydoes Totally, I'm half Irish and I agree it is ironic for Irish people to have a problem with immigrants.

Also having grown up splitting my time between family in Ireland and in England I do think its interesting that for so long in irelabd the position was "ah sure we're so warm and friendly, nothing like an Irish welcome" to contrast with the "xenophobic" English and it's like - ever think that it could be because there actually barely is any immigration (my family are from Dublin and even there I feel like you have more immigration in smaller English cities)

I can see the rationale behind the objections tbh. Ballinamore The population is just over 900 people and the government want to house 130 asylum seekers there. There is nothing for them to do there and there isn't the infrastructure to support a sudden13% increase in population. The direct provision system is dreadful anyway, it's inhuman how those people are treated.

I doubt people are protesting the immigrants more likely the fact that there aren't the facilities and resources in such a small town Am Irish btw.

"For me there’s a particular irony in Irish people complaining about ‘immigrants’."
"You’d think that there might be more sympathy ... and I am Irish BTW."

People always say that as if it's a really clever point but it's the exact opposite. Irish people in Ireland are the descendants of those who didn't immigrate despite the hellish conditions at home. They stayed through it and through staying they and their descendants were able to eventually fight off the oppression and over generations turn Ireland into one of the most prosperous nations on earth. If anything Irish people should be super anti-immigration because Irish people in Ireland are proof that staying it out and fighting for your homeland is eventually worth it.

That said Irish people aren't anti-immigration at all really and most people have actually been really chuffed that people are choosing to come live here. Not wanting a shitty Direct Provision centre in a tiny town isn't anti-immigration. Direct Provision is an awful system. Odds are most of the people in Leitrim would welcome any immigrants that chose to come live in Leitrim because it suited they had a job there or were setting up a business.

I don’t think it is as simple as being anti immigrant. From radio interviews I understand that this village has had a direct provision Centre in the past and there were no protests then.
Those protesting now include people who lived in the previous direct provision centre who have now settled in the area.

They seem to be saying that the centre is too big for a small village and there will not be enough services provided. The size of the centre in relation to the village does seem to break all guidelines.

I don't know whether they are asylum seekers or immigrants with visas/status to be there. I'm presuming asylum seekers.

For every Irish person who remained, there is at least one relative who took the boat to either England or America.

@scrappydappydoooooo
"Odds are most of the people in Leitrim would welcome any immigrants that chose to come live in Leitrim because it suited they had a job there or were setting up a business."

Immigrants are people. You dont get to sift through cherry picking ultra productive members of society. These people are asylum seekers.

So answer this then: those apartments have been and are empty. Just empty. They will be used to house these asylum seekers.

Since the people of the town feel the numbers of asylum seekers are "too many", how come they didnt protest and picket when the apartments were being built and developed?

Or is it only a certain category of person that is "too many"?

Love how a woman who was a refugee in the town is now protesting against the refugees. Fucking hypocrites!

,If anything Irish people should be super anti-immigration because Irish people in Ireland are proof that staying it out and fighting for your homeland is eventually worth it.'

Sorry, but that's a load of codswallop, racism dressed up as something else. LOADS of Irish people were forced to immigrate to stop, literally, starving to death just as many AS now are fleeing wars or persecution. And LOADS of Irish people, myself included, left and then came back again.

These people aren't protesting to get the immigrants the services and support that will be needed, they just don't want them there at all.

I'm a b it bit biased, I've lived and worked in other countries ( which made me an immigrant - out of choice thank goodness, not out of desperation) and many of my friends here in the UK/Ire are either from other nations or the children of migrants and they're doing what immigrants tend to do - enrich our community, nurse our sick, build our houses, run businesses.

They will most likely be asylum seekers or refugees. In those situations, they are usually placed in small towns to integrate and learn the language then once their initial aid has run out, they are encouraged to move into more urban areas and cities to get jobs. Some of these people haven't lived in a civilised society for some time and they need slow integration to ensure that they go on to succeed in our society. Despite what people think as well, they aren't handed houses and given £££'s. They are usually put into houses that have sat empty for ages and other people have refused to live in or some landlords sign up to the scheme to take refugees in. They are given money for the basics and expected to learn English and have employment in place once their aid is over. There was a few families of refugees put to the west coast of Scotland. One of the families were on the news and they learned the language, the kids got school places, the father secured a full time job and the mother secured a part time job. They left the house they were originally assigned to and were privately renting. The father was saying how grateful he was and how he doesn't go to bed at night worrying for his children's safety. The mother could do nothing but cry. The mother was injured, she had been involved in a petrol bomb attack in their home town in Syria and had burns on her face. It was horrible to think how desperate they once were

Since the people of the town feel the numbers of asylum seekers are "too many", how come they didnt protest and picket when the apartments were being built and developed?

My point exactly.

I think the Irish in general have been very welcoming to migrants. 20% of the population is now foreign born. That figure does not include second generation migrants and the many here attending English language schools. This is a huge change from the figures 15 years ago.

I detest the argument about the Irish being migrants so they should be more welcoming. The Irish did emigrate in their millions during English rule but they worked or they starved. They as genuine refugees were not housed or given any benefits by the receiving countries.

Last year the majority of migrants to Ireland came from Albania and Georgia. Both safe countries. 98% of those are rejected. Yet 80% remain and appeal. While appealing they remain in direct provision often for years until they are eventually given leave to remain. The expensive lawyer/barrister costs are paid for by the Irish state.

300 asylum seekers from Syria came to Ireland in the whole of 2018. 98% were given leave to remain and would exit direct provision if they were ever in it and move into a home.

Migrants from Zimbabwe and Nigerian make up the next majority in direct provision. Both with a rejection rate of 82% and 98% with very few ever being deported.

If Ireland could process and deport the bogus asylum seekers quickly there would be no such thing as direct provision. Better provision/services could easily provided for the genuine refugees.

I read that Achill island hotel with a surrounding population of 530 people is to get 70 people into direct provision today. Absolute madness. There is nothing to do there. It is not fair on the locals or the migrants.

I think it's a mistake to just lump them all into one building or area, proper integration is vital imo

Migrated during English rule?
Numerous irish governments have bankrupted the Irish economy sufficiently to ensure my parents emigrated, had us kids in UK , returned in the mid 70s, then fucked it all up again so we left in 88. Never to return.
All of Irelnds problems economically since the 4os are in part due to governmental fuck up. Charlie Haughey anyone?

@Cathnip Its actually 17% of the population that is foreign born, and a huge proportion of that percentage are UK nationals.