“The Fianna Fáil/Green Coalition Government speaks of Integration yet in practice their
actions say something very different. Language support teacher numbers have been reduced,
asylum seekers live in crowded conditions apart from the rest of society and the HSE has lost
track of a number of unaccompanied children who have entered the state. This is just not
acceptable.

“Sinn Féin has called for a complete overhaul of the asylum process, including an end
to the direct provision system and letting asylum seekers work while their cases are
being processed – as is already the case in every other EU state bar Denmark. We have
called for a review of the work permits system, as it still leaves too much scope for
exploitation, particularly where domestic workers are concerned. Our party supports the
Migrant Rights Centre in their calls to allow workers change jobs within their sector.

“Immigration has brought many benefits to the island of Ireland. We are now a much more
diverse and colourful nation than we were twenty years ago. We have been culturally
enriched by the foods, fashions and artistic traditions that new communities have brought
with them.

“They have also helped us to become a thoroughly modern, first world, 21st century country.
Better integration is possible but we need the government to properly fund it and to introduce
forward-thinking legislation to support it.”