Kerry councillor urges action on ‘frightening’ online racism – ‘We’re lucky no messiah has come’

By Alastair Tibbs, The Kerryman

A Kerry councillor has slammed the “frightening” racism fomented online in the county, as anti-immigrant sentiment climbs nationwide.

Fianna Fáil councillor Fionnán Fitzgerald said the issues around immigration were a source of “deep anger in society” and called for more education on how the refugee and asylum system works.

Tánaiste Simon Harris has previously said the number of people migrating to Ireland was “too high” and those found ineligible for residence were taking too long to leave.

In Kerry there are around 6,500 Ukrainians staying in various centres and shared accommodation, as well as over 800 International Protection Applicants (IPAs) in International Protection Accommodation Service centres.

“I thought about his motion for a long number of months,” said Cllr Fitzgerald, “I think there’s great confusion out there among the general public”.

“It’s frightening what’s being fomented online. That racism around how the system works and why those people are here in the first place.

“I have become so aware of it as a touch stone of deep anger in society that if the situation is left alone, it will just cause further division.”

An asylum seeker or IPA is a person who has left their country and is seeking protection in another country. If their application is accepted, they can either be granted permission to remain for humanitarian reasons, granted subsidiary protection status or be declared a refugee.

Each gives the applicant a certain level of protection in proportion to the perceived risk of returning home, with refugee status recognising a person faces the most severe persecution at home.

Cllr Fitzgerald said he had heard complaints surrounding refugees and IPAs, specifically around social housing. Some people had expressed their anger at what they alleged was the government giving priority to refugees on the social housing list.

Cllr Fitzgerald said it was clear the issues of housing and immigration “rub up against each other” and the housing crisis had been hijacked by anti-immigration and racist voices.

“We’re lucky no messiah has come on the other side and united all those small factions,” he said.

Councillor Angie Bailey echoed Cllr Fitzgerald’s comments, exhorting the council and councillors to help provide clear information and not leave the public to inform themselves via “dodgy Facebook pages”.

“Some people have become genuinely misinformed and I think as public representatives there is an onus of responsibility on us to ensure information is transparent and correct,” said Cllr Bailey.