Report finds lack of contact between Irish and immigrants

Social interaction between immigrant communities and the native population is "virtually non-existent" in Dublin's south inner-city, a report to be published this morning finds.

The area, taking in the Liberties and Cork Street areas, has the highest concentration of refugees and asylum seekers in the State.

Language barriers and cultural differences are among the reasons identified for the lack of interaction between some 32 nationalities in the area and the native Irish.

The report, Building Solidarity Across Communities, identifies communities from such countries as Poland, Sierra Leone, Egypt and Trinidad. Published by the South West Inner City Network, it is written by Mr Pat Guerin, liaison officer with the Irish Refugee Council and researcher on race and asylum issues.

He says that in many ways the south-west inner-city can be viewed as a microcosm of a changing Ireland.

"New and more affluent residents have joined the local population. In addition, the population of the area has been swelled by the arrival of non-Irish immigrants."

He says it is possibly inaccurate to speak in terms of communities in any real sense of the term.

"There are perhaps more realistically only communities in terms of their social, economic and legal status. This research found no real evidence of the emergence of a shared communal identification among members of 'new communities' that was based solely on the fact of living in the south-west inner-city."

The report recommends the establishment of an "intercultural working group" with representatives of all the ethnic and Irish groups in the area, as well as anti-racism training for local community leaders who would in turn imbue this in their communities.