Pete Shirlow: We need to see past the dangerous dogma around immigration

Institute of Irish Studies Director debunks myths around impact of migration, Irish News, October 10th, 2024

Several years ago, in a community centre in Belfast as I spoke about the contribution that migrants make to society, a woman, who had shown agitation throughout, shouted that her son could not get a job because of “Ns and Ps who take all the jobs and benefits and give nothin’ back”.

 As I asked her to explain how migrants could take both the jobs and the benefits, she colourfully informed me that I was an “liberal elite traitor” before storming off. Her sister, who looked a tad embarrassed, informed the room: “Our Teresa’s wee lad couldn’t get a job, sure all he does is lie around the house smoking dope and playing computer games – lazy like his da!” 

Everyone nodded. Yet, Teresa like the majority of the old, young, Catholics, Protestants, affluent and poor believes that immigration into Northern Ireland has not been positive in terms of the economy or society.

 To give her credit at least she aired her repugnant opinions and took no shame in doing so. Many more convince themselves that they are not racist but just have “a few concerns”, despite rarely articulating their concerns with facts. 

 Unevidenced concerns are dogma and dangerous when directed at powerless minorities who have probably caused them neither harm nor grief. Yet, it is too easy to qualify racist attitudes with casual phrases such as “they aren’t all bad” or “some of them are hard workers”.

Such phrases do not inure those who deliver them from the reality of what they are – biased and misinformed people who deliver un-evidenced stereotypes and opinions.

 As the data from the recent ESRC sponsored Westminster election survey indicates, a mere 1-in-5 support the idea that migrants have made a positive contribution. Yet, the same survey shows that the vast majority now have friendships across the sectarian divide and believe that such relationships are improving. Despite, the seemingly increase in getting on with ‘themuns’ it seems that such improvements do not include getting on with them ‘other’ ones. At least most of our people are united about something cultural. 

These, unsympathetic opinions towards migrants, are not the attitudes found only in the places that are deprived and stricken by years of neglect but the opinions of the supposedly ‘respectable’ - the church-goer, the degree holder and the professional worker. Little Christian sympathy or understanding, then, for the likes of Olha Sheremet who recently reported the difficulties of providing a proper diet for her husband, who has stomach cancer, via the meagre cooking facilities in her hotel room.

But the likes of Ohla, who fled violence in Ukraine, is probably viewed as a migrant cog in the housing crisis. Between struggling to feed her husband she probably runs a property empire along with other vulture capitalists. Other migrants, when not trapped in their refugee centre, by baying racist crowds calling for their expulsion, are undoubtedly in cahoots with multiple property-owning profiteers. 

What howling crowds represent are those who re-traumatise the traumatised in their pursuit of false claims that migrants are responsible for our social ills. No migrant has stopped homes being built but governments and those whose interests they serve have.

 No one who has been in a hospital or care home could not experience the contribution that is being made. The greater power is not that reality of experience but how the noise of a racist social media defeats what is observed in favour of what is erroneously stated but rarely questioned.

 A media that is increasingly driven by foreign states and groups intent on causing friction and discord within western Europe. Then we have our political elite who state their disbelief at the riots and racist opinions but who just never go far enough to take on their voters’ prejudices, who never put together proper anti-racist policies or who promote the realities of the migrant contribution.

 As evidenced in the Republic, the far-right has spooked the government and opposition into a less sympathetic approach to migration.

 So let us be clear on what the contribution of migrants is. No migrants will mean a diminished health service. No migrants will lead to a decline in the workforce, a loss in productivity and fewer consumers whose spending grows economies. It means a decline in the economically inactive in favour of labour force growth and thereby increased GDP.

 Migrant inflows halts population decline, brings in a younger population who pay taxes, raises VAT and reduces both the share of the workforce who are claiming benefits and those lying about the house “smoking dope and playing computer games”.