Ellen Coyne: Political rhetoric on migrants has shifted from compassion to a focus on firm rules

Barriers around the International Protection Office in Dublin after a ‘tent city’ was cleared from the area on Wednesday. Photo: Collins

Ellen Coyne

Before the last general election, in 2020, the word “immigration” didn’t feature in the manifestos of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or the Green Party. When the parties did talk about international protection, they were usually vowing to improve standards in direct provision and moving towards an independent living model for asylum-seekers. (A grand plan that has now been all but abandoned, following the war in Ukraine and increase in international protection applicants.)

While Fine Gael did mention speeding up asylum decisions in its pitch to voters, it framed this policy as a compassionate measure to help those in need to start their new lives in Ireland faster. Four years on, and the political landscape in Ireland is completely different – with the issue of immigration taking up greater space than ever before. Politicians have found themselves talking about immigration in very different terms – emphasising not so much a compassionate system, but a “firm” and “rules-based” one.