No room at the inn for those fleeing war, persecution and unemployment..

UNFORTUNATELY, we do not live in the idealised world that John Lennon (and Yoko Ono) wrote about in the song Imagine.

The best-selling single of John Lennon’s career encourages people to imagine a world of peace, without materialism, without borders separating nations, and without religion. Some chance.

We are a territorial species who will fight for our land, even if that land is only a garden. We are hyper- conscious of what’s ours – and quick to point the finger at anyone who tries to muscle in on it.

This mentality, magnified to an extreme level, in part explains the riots that broke out in Dublin on November 23. Politicians blamed far-right agitators for stoking unrest as a result of immigrants arriving here in recent years.

Of course, opportunistic thugs were also to blame for the violence and destruction of property.

It shouldn’t be racist to suggest that Ireland has done its bit when it comes to accommodating refugees, asylum-seekers and people from war-town Ukraine. There seems to be no room at the inn.

What kind of a refuge is Ireland when all that is on offer are tents and sleeping bags, in cold and often wet weather?

As of a week ago, 76 people were without a place to stay. People not being offered accommodation are being given an increased weekly payment of €113.80 and are being referred to drop-in centres run by homeless charities. Our accommodation outlets are not a bottomless pit.

The State is providing accommodation for nearly 100,000 people, including more than 73,700 people from Ukraine and some 25,800 asylum-seekers from elsewhere.

It’s hard to dismiss the bitterness of Irish people who are homeless and feel that they’re way down in the pecking order when it comes to being supported. Many of these people have paid taxes here.

There is a cohort that is working and homeless; in other words, contributing to the state’s coffers while languishing on housing lists and having to couch surf.

Yes, there is a world of difference between a mother and her kids fleeing Ukraine where maybe their house has been blown up, and an Irish person unable to afford rent and relying on the kindness of friends and family. It seems harsh to suggest that Ukrainians shouldn’t come here.

But is there no cross-pollination between other European countries when it comes to sharing the burden of refugees, relative to the size and economy of each country?

While some countries have shown a willingness to welcome and integrate refugees as well as asylum- seekers, others are resisting taking on their fair share of the burden. This has resulted in tensions and conflict among EU member states.

It’s a case of mouthing platitudes about the plight of people in terrible situations while maintaining a NIMBY stance. It’s just not good enough.

The issue of uneven burden-sharing is down to political divisions on how to approach the situation. Some say governments should not be forced to accept refugees and migrants against their choice, while others feel it is their obligation to give sanctuary to those in need.

The result is disagreement on how to evenly distribute the cost of relocation and integration.

In the meantime, people are fleeing their countries, perhaps seeing Ireland as an attractive destination with its relatively generous social welfare structure.

But, according to a spokesman from the department of integration: “Despite intensive efforts to source emergency accommodation, the department is currently not in a position to provide accommodation to all international protection applicants due to the severe shortage.”

It’s not as if we are wanting when it comes to welcoming (or maybe just tolerating) immigrants. Ireland has a long history of emigration. From the coffin ships of the 19th century to the trek across the water, we have departed Ireland, generally for economic reasons, and often thrived. But many Irish emigrants in England were met with signs that stated: “No blacks, no dogs, no Irish.”

While utterly racist, that sentiment is loaded with fear. Fear of the foreigner “taking our jobs”, as the yobs would say. But the Irish helped to build modern Britain.

Many a construction worker that toiled on building sites, cashed their pay cheque in their local pub – and drank it. The heavy drinking was the antidote to loneliness and feelings of being an outsider. It was no way to live. But such was the lot of the casual labourer who turned up in the morning to wherever work was being doled out.

At least, there was nobody at the borders preventing such people coming into the UK.

Ireland also needs its immigrants. Some contribute to the health service and various other sectors. But there has to be a limit to how many can feasibly live here – most definitely not in tents.