Is it time for a real debate on immigration?

[Mossy Heneberry]

Facts? Figures? We have the lowest percentage of asylum applications accepted in the EU. Our non-EU populations is smaller than most other countries. Debate is fine as long as it is factual and clear headed. Unfortunately this thread and the bigoted twits on it typify the sort of "debate" that tends to take place.

There is no direct link between Ireland and Nigeria, so how are they gettting here? I am not talking about numbers, just the law and international agreements that we signed up to. Those laws state that a person claiming refugee status need to claim it at their first port of call, for which in most cases would be Britian. Lets stick to with the law shall we?

I also don't care that we have the smallest percentage of non eu-immigrants. Our current economic climate can't even support hundreds of thousands of Irish people, let alone immigrants.

[Scitlipo]

There has to be an official nod to allowing illegal immigrants into the country. For example, Brazilians arrive here with new passports, no English, several suitcases ostensibly to "visit relatives". They work extremely hard, many at jobs irish people will not do. Perhaps they use education services for their kids but most seem to be living on what they earn. If this is the worst they do, it's not too bad.
I spoke with a Czech lad who told me of how he and his friends go from Shannon to London each week to get dole payments, and they also collect here. Poles getting child support way above the levels of their own country is another gripe. NIgerians who seem to know how to avail of every social service available down to getting petrol money.
Someone needs to call stop. I have lived legally in another state for 10 years, and I think it should not be alot to expect of others who come here, legally or otherwise.
Surely it is possible to sort these things out?

[Half Nelson]

When 100,000 people can suddenly pop up in a country this size then something is clearly amiss.
Heads should have rolled, yet not one journalist bothered to ask how this came about. We can't control what we are failing to monitor.

[Spirit Of Newgrange]

Legions of spongers from the third world are our punishment for our longstanding political apathy. You wouldnt see the Greeks settling for such a situation in their country ?

[sport02]

When 100,000 people can suddenly pop up in a country this size then something is clearly amiss.
Heads should have rolled, yet not one journalist bothered to ask how this came about. We can't control what we are failing to monitor.

That is the documented figure, how much does the figure rise with illegals? Surely with the VB on five nights a week, he can atleast set a side one show to discuss this issue.

[IrishTom]

There wont be a serious debate on immigration, as the Irish spivs make a lot of money on exploiting immigrants.

That is true Cael, this whole influx of cheap foreign labour is not an accident, it was orchestrated by the business and political elites to force workers to compete with each other in a race to the bottom in terms of working conditions and rights.
The funny thing is most of the proponents of this form of worker displacement are leftist in their political views, these same people brand anyone who raises the issue a racist or a bigot in order to stifle the debate.

We need to confront all forms of worker displacement and undermining of hard fought for workers rights, we need to end the nonsensical mass importation of cheap foreign labour as it doesn't benefit the immigrant or the native worker, the only people benefiting from this are the political and banking elites.

[IrishTom]

Is there a point debating stuff we cant control ?
Im all for 'debate' but I imagine the EU isnt .
Thats the bottom line really.

But it shouldn't be the bottom line, I'm all for economic community with the EU but as soon as that becomes a dictatorship and threatens the very fabric of Irish society is when it the EU also needs to be challenged.

[eoghanacht]

Here lies Gaelic Ireland. R.I.P.

You are aware it died somewhere between 1600 and 1800. Or are we trying to pin the flight of the Earls on Nigerians.

[IrishTom]

What I don't understand is why do we have so many non eu-immigrants here? As soon as they get here they claim refugee status. Yet how did they get here directly? Most of them must have arrived via another EU country, so why not claim asylum there?

Even more intriguing is why these same "asylum" seekers only discovered Ireland existed after the Celtic tiger was in full flight, before that time you could count asylum seekers and immigrants on your two hands.
The logical conclusion would be that the majority but not all of these immigrants and so called asylum seekers are nothing but opportunist economic immigrants who are either here to live off the state or work in low paying jobs under cutting and displacing the native workers.

This is not the fault of the economic immigrants it is the fault of the business and political elites and the only people who can change this is our ourselves, we need to speak up without fear and confront the liberal elites who only view us as nothing more than worker ants and useless eaters.

[eoghanacht]

Can you really have a level headed debate on the subject of immigration with someone who confessed that the sight of foreigners piling out of a church made them sick to the pit of their stomach.