Time for a zero refugee policy? - *Read OP for mod warnings and threadbans - updated 11/5/24*

You are taking a fairly selective window of time there for discussing refugee movements in Europe. You only have to go back 80 years to find a time where Europe had as many as 65 million people displaced during the Second World War. In fact, the entire concept of co-ordinated international efforts to assist refugees began in Europe, with the formation of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Adminstration in 1943 to assist European refugees — which included displaced Jews and Eastern Europeans who did not want to return to Soviet rule. Even back then, there was an understanding that mass displacements of people can't be addressed by hoping they all fly off to a new life on the Moon.

In any event, saying that there is any significant body of people out there (or anyone on this thread for that matter) who think we should "house most of the Middle East and Africa" is exaggerated nonsense.

Seriously? They do not have leave to remain because after investigation by authorities, it has been decided that they are not at risk/lying/ not entitled for some other reason.

They are not refugees because their claim has been turned down.

The system works, I thought you would be happy with that?

Also pro refugee? That's not a thing. Do I support the right of people fleeing to refugee status? Yes, of course. The alternative is that noone should ever be helped trying to escape anywhere! Do you think people should be forced to stay in their own country even if their own government are carrying out atrocities on them?

Who could describe themselves as anti - refugee?

If it is purely the numbers coming in ( war in Europe has obviously seen a rise in refugees, what would you suggest we do with people from Ukraine)

Then why do you post constantly about other issues? Refugees commuting crimes, cultural differences, having groups of men in an area? Like if your issue is the amounts

But religion meant more to us when Ireland was much more monocultural, and attitudes towards the LGBT community were worse in monocultural Ireland than they are now.

The terms "integrating" and "adapting" are used in such self-serving ways on these threads — they just seem to mean whatever you need them to mean. By your own words, you would not have adapted to the more monocultural and more religiously conservative Ireland of 50 years ago. The Ireland you seem to set out as this wonderfully liberal, agnostic place where we all have a good old laugh at religion has happened around the same time as the country has become more multicultural. In fact, the only people I ever hear bemoaning the death of religion in Ireland are the conservative Catholic right leaning types! So are they also "refusing to integrate" with cool chic modern Ireland or what ?

I mean, what does adapting and integrating mean to you and which of our migrant communities are en masse refusing to do so?

Got a link to the other 93% leaving off their own bat? I'm only asking for the same level of proof you require.

You are the one who made the claim. You make a claim you back it up. That is how a discussion works. You expect us to believe your pie in the sky numbers with not a shred of evidence, yet any time someone disagrees with you, you pretty much want sworn testimony, under oath, before you'll take it on board. It is bad faith posting.

You cannot demand proof/links/official data from others, and then you provide personal opinion and expect it to be taken as fact.

Just noticed that the popular and well used Peacockes Hotel and Gift Shop at Maam Cross in Connemara 'closed' a couple of months ago. They had a good general business there but seemingly more money in selling housing to the state.

Did tourism related business there and wondering why no replies, another of our customers gone and revenue reduced :(

Don't suppose our government cares much though about smaller Irish businesses related to tourism.

Oh I don't know, I guess all could absolutely leave.

But just knowing human nature, there are always a few chancers that'll chance anything. But yeah I don't know, they could all leave

When migrants don't like LGBT rights it's a 'failure of multiculturalism', but when right wing white people don't like them it's 'just protecting the children'.

Was planning a "staycation" (remember those?) before the schools go back and can't find anywhere in the traditional tourist areas that hasn't been given over to directly housing refugees or which doesn't contain a massive influx of them (per some googling and reading of local press etc).

A holiday among dozens/hundreds of bored unemployed people with nothing to do all day doesn't sound great to be honest - and the morality police can save the false outrage (it's wasted on me anyway!). That's the reality in many formerly scenic and tourism-dependent areas of the country.

At this point, considering going abroad instead.

They haven't - that's the worrying thing - and by ther time they do, it'll be too late (if it isn't already)

Worse, we have a noisy minority actually cheerleading this stuff, that either :

(a) Think it'll all be grand 🙄

(b) Think it's all positive and anyone saying otherwise is a big racist

(c) Aren't, or aren't likely to be, affected anyway

(d) Are just grandstanding for "de likes" on their social media platform of choice

Of course in reality - that unfortunate state of existence which tends to get in the way of these notions - huge areas of the country have been changed almost overnight, the problems are already surfacing and will only get worse as the presures and tensions increase, and before long we really WILL have a "far right" element (beyond the handful that people ignore anyway) that will cement our transformation into a truely "modern European country".

Personally, despite the political incompetence, waste and corruption, despite the appalling and worsening services situation, and despite the increasing Americanised polarisation and divisive nature of "debate" that's taken root here, I was quite fond of our generally peaceful, easy-going, welcoming and accepting little country - but I fear it's being lost in the space of months while those who rightly express concerns are either demonised or just ignored by those making the decisions.