Sir, - Is it not ironic that on the day the Minister for Justice addressed the Dail on discrimination against lady golfers, he also introduced measures concerning immigrants which bring shame to this country. The Minister's amendments to the Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Bill have within them the seeds for enshrining institutionalised racism into Irish law. Immigrants to "Ireland of the Welcomes" are now to have their legal rights substantially eroded, in a manner worthy of Austria's New Right.
The Minister describes his proposals as making "provision for some refinement of aspects of immigration and asylum law". These "refinements" include applying a period of a mere two weeks within which an aggrieved party may seek judicial review in respect of 14 areas of immigration/asylum law. The Minister's "refinements" also include a dramatically increased burden in the proofs necessary to successfully obtain a judicial review. Of course, it is always possible that a non-national may meet these unjust standards. Hence the need for a further "refinement", namely a dramatic narrowing of the available grounds for taking an appeal to the Supreme Court. And just in case refugees and asylum-seekers are not sufficiently demoralised, these "refinements" are tacked on to a Bill dealing with the illegal trafficking of immigrants.
Mr O'Donoghue assures us that his comprehensive legislation will respect the humanity of those who seek to come to our shores. Doubtless he has consulted with those non-nationals whose rights have been "refined" as to the humanity of these measures. Perhaps he took a fleeting glance at the European Declaration against Racism and Xenophobia which seeks to ensure that all forms of discrimination are prevented. Perhaps he did and perhaps he found it to be too refined. - Yours, etc.,
Brendan Gogarty, Trim, Co. Meath.