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

Most of that coastline is not relevant to people smugglers as they only cross in very limited port to port crossings with the shortest possible journeytime. Really only 1-5% of the coastline is relevant to this discussion. In the unlikely event that a boat gets through, you just offer no support at all to illegal immigrants without a visa.

Anyway, once you shut off the main routes, the number of drownings and the numbers crossing in general will collapse.

Govt aligns accomodation with demand = Good.

You missed that one.

Who said anything about being quiet?

On either side though .

The post I was replying to had said another poster was in the minority opinion HERE and I was pointing out that thread does have a high concentration of anti immigration posters by virtue of its title so imo that is unfair comment .

Think it was your post to @Thelonius Monk .

Only for those in state provided accommodation.

I did see something recently(can’t remember where) and I couldn’t substantiate it. Irish people who seek a grant for 3rd level are means tested and have to live within a certain distance and if approved get an average of over 3k, while Ukrainians aren’t means tested, no distance criteria to college, zero fees, get an average of over 10k.

If true that is ridiculous.

When you see the pushback when even a few thousand AS arrive, there'll never be millions allowed in as the EU would meltdown. Also, it would cost hundreds of billions to support that many arrivals indefinitely.

With an ageing population to fund, EU governments are not going to prioritise non-voting illegal migrants.

There's no real need to stop illegal immigration completely but we need to reduce it by 90 plus per cent and rapidly process those that do manage to arrive.

Public interest in this topic will fall once it gets under control.

But the "Immigration" thread literally had same proportions of opinions, so that's the "zero refugee" title theory out the window.

This thread is absolutely a fair reflection on Irish society.

Do you see the French border patrol getting tougher on migrant boats entering the UK though?

That is scandalous. No wonder you hear stories of Ukrainians signing up for 3rd level and not attending. I'm sure they also get their dole, deposited directly into their account, along with their free medical and travel cards.

And the cheek of some of them to be moaning about the cuts this morning and "challenging" it, on their Facebook groups.

It is not enough at all. They should be moved out of State accommodation with exception of single women with their children and disabled people. I'm sick of seeing fighting age, health men drinking daily outside their state provided hotel accommodation. No English after 2.5 years here, no job….hilarious.

Honestly , these men should be deported straight away. They can do something good for their own country, help it against russian nazies. They are not wanted here at all.

No. As I said in my original post I believe the two immigration threads are attracting some traffic that is not elsewhere .

The titles do draw more anti than pro because of the way they are worded.

Eg ."How can we change/ manage our refugee situation better ?'" doesn't have the same bite to it but would be a little more attractive to posters who don't necessarily want to stop all asylum seekers .

As it is there are just a few of us who are posting here who are not against , although that situation is rapidly becoming more difficult to maintain given our government's response to this .

I keep seeing posts accusing 5 or 6 posters of effectively ruining the thread , just because they don't go with the main narrative .

Some are left , some centrist .but our opinions /input are not wanted . Or are deemed invalid because it is not what the majority say they think here .

That's unfair and goes against what a discussion forum is about .

I happen to think that some , not all, opinions here are ill founded , on spurious reports from SM and X and some right wing SM hacks and deserve to be picked apart , .Just like you and others think mine are, no doubt .

And good luck to you .That's what it's about .

Otherwise we may all stick to WhatsApp or social media groups that don't discuss a subject .Echo chambers .

But "popular opinion " here ..does that mean that the "popular " opinion is the correct one or just that it's popular ? At this time?

Are well thought through opinions , against the thread ..invalid , just because they are not on the popular side on a particular thread ?

I am saying that that is an unfair comment and calling that particular trope out .

That was what my original op was about and why I am bringing it back to that .

I never said that this thread does not reflect public opinion but I would disagree that it or any boards thread reflects ACTUAL public opinion accurately.

It can't .

It is a select group posting . Called for, by the title .

The fact that some opinion polls might agree with some of the opinions on the thread from time to time is nothing to do with the thread being reflective , just that posters like to think that .

When opinion polls last few months were saying people were still supportive of asylum seekers posters here did not think those polls reflected their opinions .

But they were real opinion polls as the recent ones posted here .

There are provisos with all polls and confounding factors but hey they are more valid than what any of us can surmise on a thread on boards

So which is it ?

A microcosm of public opinion ,

Or a concentration of posters who are of one opinion mainly drawn to a particular thread , because, let's face it , there is no other thread on boards now , where they can voice that particular opinion without too much push back ?

Not quite the same as representing public opinion .

This is also sickening to read, about the additional FREE benefits they get for being in college.

https://www.irishrefugeecouncil.ie/ukraine-students-in-ireland

And FREE English lessons to boot, yet the majority of them have not a word of English still. Seriously, what do they have to pay for out of their own pockets, apart from booze?

Are the free English lessons really that much of an issue??

And my girlfriend teaches a class in a working class area of Dublin with Ukrainian students and seems to think they are doing OK in learning English or improving it. Apparently a couple of them also showing more interest in Irish than the Irish kids. But I'm guessing that's also sickening too.

I don't think there is much issue with free English lessons. To be honest, a working knowledge of English is essential for employment here so I'd actually make English lessons a condition of receiving a stipend, unless they have a demonstrated proficiency.

In that mostly anecdotal blog post it says border crossing attempts dropped from 40K to 17k the year it was built. Over 50% reduction. Then last year it was 25k, still a 38% reduction. I am not in favour of using that approach here but saying it hasn't been effective is a bit of a stretch.

Unreal. College fees waived, monthly maintenance payment €1,150, plus the free accommodation to boot. Accommodation of course which has become even more expensive for non Ukrainian students due to scarcity because some refugees are being housed in former student accommodation.

It’s all non-means tested too for Ukrainians. The most wealthy Ukrainians can send their kids to college for free here, but any working Irish parents barely over the low threshold get nothing. Absolute joke!