Sinn Féin calls for ‘audit’ of services before asylum seekers are moved into any area

Vivienne Clarke

Sinn Féin is pledging to establish a new immigration system that would require an audit of local services such as health, housing, transport and education to be completed before any accommodation centre for asylum seekers is located in a community.

The pledge is contained in a new international protection policy, to be unveiled by party leader Mary Lou McDonald on Tuesday as she seeks a reset on a politically difficult issue that has alienated the party from some of its traditional support base.

Sinn Féin will also recommend that a “two-tier system”, in which Ukrainians enjoy better conditions than asylum seekers from other countries, should end.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on social protection, said it was obvious that there could be a “better understanding” of the party’s position on migration following the party’s poor performance in the local elections.

"I think we haven't always communicated it well," he told RTÉ's Morning Ireland. "And I think that is important. I think people look to us to have answers. Look to us to represent them and look towards us to ensure that the system works. And in my view, there is clear frustration in relation to the system.

“The system clearly doesn't work. I don't think it works for anyone, people who are waiting years on decisions and people in communities who feel that they have no say, no way of participating in the process of where centres, where accommodation is being located. And I think generally there isn't a confidence that the system works.

“There isn't any process in planning applications of any kind where it is simply the case that a vote is taken or anything like that, but in any other application, for any other process or any other piece of infrastructure, people have an opportunity to have their say.

“Just to be clear, there are people out there that under no circumstances do they want to see anybody different in their community. They are interested in destroying property. They are interested in violence. I suppose they are racist in many respects. But I think it doesn't help the situation in communities where there are people who have concerns, who have reservations, they have nowhere to direct their views. They have nowhere to make a submission.

“I think that there needs to be a standardised process and that doesn't necessarily require amending legislation, but a standardised process to ensure that people where they have a view in terms of what resources does this community need, why is this location not suitable? I think that has to exist, and I don't think that's a lot to ask.”

He said there was also now an opportunity with the new British government to resume returning asylum seekers who first made an application to Britain.

“The legislation has been rectified, now it’s about diplomatic engagements with the British government. What this is fundamentally about is making sure the system works,” Mr Ó Laoghaire said.