POLL OF THE DAY: Is Ireland's migrant crisis out of control? YOUR VERDICT

Coolock protest
Sinn Fein has proposed a 'no veto' approach to migrants moving in to local communities
PA
Dimitris Kouimtsidis

By Dimitris Kouimtsidis


Published: 25/07/2024

- 05:00

Updated: 25/07/2024

- 19:32

GB News members have been asked whether they think that Ireland's migrant crisis is out of control

Ongoing migrant protests in Ireland have been branded "out of control" as Sinn Féin has vowed to implement a "stricter immigration policy" for the country.

Protests have erupted at a former paint factory in Coolock, as locals opposed the location being earmarked as a site to house asylum seekers.


Taoiseach Simon Harris faces increasing pressure to crack down on immigration and has called the demonstrations in Coolock "reprehensible" and "thuggery".

Sharing his thoughts on GB News, host Eamonn Holmes said the immigration crisis in Ireland is "out of control", and warned of similar demonstrations "making their way to the UK" if numbers continue to surge.

POLL OF THE DAY: Is Ireland's migrant crisis out of control? YOUR VERDICT

POLL OF THE DAY: Is Ireland's migrant crisis out of control? YOUR VERDICT

GB News

Joined by Irish political correspondent Ben Scallan, he claimed that the immigration issues have been ongoing for "several years", due to the "grandiose commitment by government to having a no cap policy when it came to asylum seekers".

Scallan explained: "They said we will take as many as they can effectively, and were bracing to accept as many as 200,000 asylum seekers entering Ireland.

"For those who don't know, the Republic of Ireland's population is just over five million. So 200,000 in a country with a population of that size is astonishing."

Noting the latest from President of Sinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald, who claimed locals "won't have a veto" on who moves into their area, Eamonn asked Scallan when the "arrogance" displayed by the Irish government is going to disappear.

Coolock protestSinn Fein has proposed a 'no veto' approach to migrants moving in to local communitiesPA

Scallan responded: "It's a strange misunderstanding that has arisen in not just this country, but probably many Western countries, where politicians and the political class at large seem to be under the misapprehension that they own the country, when in fact it is the citizenry of the country who own the country.

"Ireland does not belong to the politicians, they are people who have been temporarily bestowed with the right to manage it on behalf of the people as representatives.

"And so this whole you don't have a veto, you can't decide, well, then who can decide?"

In the exclusive poll for GB News membership readers, an overwhelming majority (92 per cent) of the 408 voters thought Ireland's migrant crisis was out of control, while just six per cent thought it wasn't. Two per cent said they did not know.

You may like