The Irish are no strangers to foreigners coming in and making demands, both financial and cultural. And with the current waves of migrants washing up on its shores, some of the native Irish have had enough.
Western countries have noticeably had their fill of being expected to take in and house the world. Migration is as old as mankind, but what the West currently experiences is more akin to invasion than the natural flow of migrants.
As for Ireland and the rest of Northern Europe, these civilized societies bear the massive brunt of scores of unsettled populations from war-torn Muslim-majority nations.
Along with the newcomers from dysfunctional countries in the last decade came a wide array of social problems. Many times the issues spilled into violence, as attacks on the native population grew. And the Irish are growing tired of inheriting other people’s tragedies.
A 2018 ERSI study found that
– 59% of Irish public admitted to wanting few or no Muslim migrants
– 57% of young Muslims want Ireland to be an Islamic State
– 28% of young Muslims believe political violence is sometimes justified pic.twitter.com/IyHAQLziqq— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) July 30, 2020
The resulting crime and conflict, including daylight attacks in cities, have created a backlash against busloads of strange men being deposited onto the streets of unsuspecting cities and towns. Skirmishes have erupted, and a series of 2019 arsons targeted a hotel designated for “asylum seekers.”
A large protest last week exposed the raw anger felt by the Irish.
Scores of angry residents poured into the Dublin streets. Signs and banners proclaimed “Ireland is Full,” “Ireland for the Irish,” and “Irish Lives Matter.”
The overwhelming message from the demonstration was for the government to comply with the people’s wishes and cease rolling out the red carpet for incoming migrants.
The situation is also coming to a head with the current housing crisis. Many hotels are backing away from their contracts to accommodate migrants and refugees, and one major processing facility is closing.
Accommodations for international migrants, whose ranks have been swelled by the Ukraine war, are increasingly difficult to find. The Irish government now predicts an average of 1,220 refugees per week arriving on the country’s shores and into its airports with very few beds available.
This crisis exists despite the construction of thousands of modular units to accommodate new arrivals. Officials are attempting to repurpose older buildings to house new residents, but getting them up to fire codes and other safety standards is a lengthy process. And there is no end in sight.
