Future large-scale Garda operations targeting illegal immigrants could seriously alienate the trust of ethnic communities, a Government advisory body warns in a new report.
Imprecise "net" operations like last summer's Operation Hyphen are both inefficient and counterproductive and should not be continued, says the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI), which also expresses concern at the role of a small number of immigration officers.
The report also notes a "huge upsurge" in racist e-mails and literature, including during the second Nice referendum when stickers were put on lamp-posts in inner-city Dublin encouraging people to take action on the "invasion" of foreigners. It found a significant increase in the number of racist and offensive e-mails, letters and mobile phone text messages sent to organisations working against racism.
Last July's high-profile Garda operation cost €101,518 and led to the detention of 140 people. Fifty out of a total of 74 people charged with immigration-related offences were subsequently released after they proved they were legally resident in the State, and 15 unsuccessful asylum-seekers were deported.
The NCCRI says it received 19 representations from individuals or organisations working with minority ethnic groups following the two-day operation. They were concerned that the initiative could convey the impression that entire communities were being targeted rather than individuals, and this could erode good relationships in some areas between gardaí and new communities.
"Large-scale and imprecise net operations such as 'Operation Hyphen' should cease," the report concludes. "They are both inefficient and counterproductive. Where necessary, there should be more focused, low-key operations to enforce immigration and residence legislation. Further operations similar to Operation Hyphen have the potential to seriously alienate the trust of minority ethnic communities in Ireland."
It also says the role of "a small number" of immigration officers continues to be of concern and has the potential to undermine the high quality of work undertaken by the profession as a whole. Increased monitoring of standards of service should be introduced, it says.
The report comes amid renewed fears among thousands of non-EU immigrants following the recent Supreme Court ruling that non-national parents of Irish citizens can be deported.
The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, has ruled out mass deportations and said applications for residency from the parents of Irish citizens will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
The NCCRI report is part of its ongoing recording of racism-related incidents, details of which are forwarded to the committee by individuals or groups.
A total of 67 incidents were reported by people of 23 nationalities during the period May to October last year. Racist abuse, harassment and "other forms of cultural disrespect" were the most common form of incident reported, with a smaller number of serious assaults. The incidents included:
An attack on a woman of Asian ethnic origin by a group of youths in Dublin city centre; a taxi-driver and some bystanders came to her assistance.
A serious assault on a Zimbabwean man who was also subjected to racist insults by a man in a cloakroom queue in a Dublin night-club.
An attack on 20 Traveller families near Laytown, Co Meath, who had their trailers covered with effluent from a spray unit.