Simon Harris speaks to media outside Government Buildings yesterday. RollingNews.ie
IMMIGRATION POLICIES
Harris yesterday said that the government need to consider migration numbers in a “very serious way”.
COMMENTS ON IMMIGRATION made by Tánaiste Simon Harris have been labelled as ‘reckless dog whistling’ by opposition politicians.
Speaking to reporters outside Government Buildings yesterday, Harris said the government need to consider migration numbers in a “very serious way”.
“Our migration numbers are too high, and I think that is really an issue that needs to be considered in a very serious way by Government”, he said after acknowledging the benefits of immigration.
He made the comments after being asked about Ireland’s immigration policy in light of the riots at Citywest campus last week.
“We used to live in a country where 2,000 to 3,000 people sought international protection each year. That number has gone to, in or around, 20,000; that is a very, very significant increase, and it is too high,” he said.
The September report on the International Protection System by the Department of Justice said that compared to last year, the number of asylum applications “has dropped significantly”.
So far this year the total number of applications has dropped from 15,583 down to 9,589, a reduction of 38.5%
‘Fuelling hatred’
The Tánaiste’s comments come two days after the European anti-racism body said “ill-informed responses” by politicians are “fuelling hatred and escalating tensions further”.
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) made the comments after finding that hate speech is a widespread problem in Ireland and is most commonly anti-migrant in nature.
Labour’s Aodhán Ó Ríordáin MEP has criticised Harris’ comments, describing them as “deeply irresponsible” and a form of “dangerous dog-whistling that stokes division and fear”.
“These remarks from the Tánaiste are disgraceful and extremely dangerous. Political leaders have a responsibility to choose their words carefully,” he said.
“When the Tánaiste says ‘numbers are too high’, it sends a message that the Government itself is buying into divisive rhetoric. It is reckless, harmful, and beneath the office he holds.”
“It has only been a week since a racist riot attacked Gardaí on the streets of Dublin. In that context, this kind of populist outburst from the Tánaiste is not just irresponsible – it is pandering to the lowest common denominator.”
‘The Nigel Farage route’
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Social Democrats TD and spokesperson for justice Gary Gannon suggested Harris is trying to “go down the Nigel Farage route”.
He said the Tanaiste needs to be “a hell of a lot more careful” on comments he makes by immigration.
“It’s also a person struggling with relevancy after what happened in the presidential election last week”, he said.
He said issues with Ireland’s immigration system is due to a “failure of management”, which he said Harris is at the fore of.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said immigration numbers did rise “substantially” since the Covid-19 pandemic, but current policies are reducing it.
“There’s been far more deportations this year. I think the message has gone out, if you don’t qualify and you should know you’re not going to qualify, don’t bother coming,” he said.