08/06/2026
WORKING CLASS COMMUNITIES MUST BE ALLOWED TO HAVE THEIR SAY ON IMMIGRATION
Recent times have seen significant social changes occur in many working-class and rural areas, as increased immigration into our country becomes evident. For many ordinary people, these changes have prompted questions and concerns around pressures on housing, healthcare and resources and a potential risk (real or perceived) to the long term welfare of communities, who, with zero consultation, have never seen such demographic shifts in their lifetime.
As republican socialists, the IRSP state firmly that the blame for housing shortages, a failing health care system and general pressures on social resources lies with the capitalist economic system which we currently live under. Immigration into Ireland may exacerbate such social pressures, but it is not the root cause of them.
That said, it has become evident that a concerning new political and social trend has also emerged, which seeks to demonise and shut down any expressions of concern around the short- and long-term impact of immigration into Irish working-class communities.
This trend is not only sickeningly condescending, it is downright dangerous and must stop. The branding of decent working class people who raise perfectly legitimate questions around the welfare of their community as ‘racist’, ‘bigoted’ and ‘far right’, can only serve to isolate such people from progressive activism and ideas, and all at a time when an actual ‘far right’ are only too happy to provide our neighbours with a new political home and much more menacing platform to speak from.
In recent days, the IRSP have spoken with and listened to the concerns of a working-class residents’ group on the Glen Road in West Belfast, who have not only been lied to about the significant accommodation of migrant men in their area, but who have been further berated and demonised online for daring to express frustrations at what has occurred. So much so that any social debate on the issue has now been effectively shut down. This cannot by any stretch of the imagination, be described as a progressive way forward.
Be in no doubt, there are elements within our society who intend to make immense profits from migration into Ireland, be that our army of slum landlords and letting agents, our low paying employers and indeed our ever present career political class who through an array of paid schemes and funding ploys will wag their finger of disapproval at working class people as they sit safe and detached from the same social problems they are today helping to create.
It is not unreasonable to suggest (as the IRSP do) that migration into Ireland generally and into working class communities in particular, must not occur in a fashion which is detrimental to the interests of the Irish working class itself.
In order to ensure that legitimate working class concerns about immigration are not taken on, absorbed and exploited by a real and growing Irish far right, we must ensure that the space be granted to those who have the right to express those concerns in the first place.
