Transcript of Ireland toughens response to mass migration as communities voice concerns | BBC News

When voters in the Irish Republic go to the polls this week, one issue that's gained prominence is immigration. Part of the reason is that the number of asylum seekers in Ireland relying on the state for accommodation has more than quadrupled in three years, and many have been sent to rural communities. Our special correspondence, Fergal Keen, reports now from one small village in Tipperary.

There's trouble in the Heartlands. In County Tipperary, protests over immigration. Last August, villages in Dundrum trying to block asylum seekers from entering shelter in a local hotel that's been closed for almost a decade. There's still protesting here, saying they weren't consulted about plans to house up to 277 asylum seekers, doubling the local population.

How can we not feel fear? And how can our government ignore that?

Partly driven by fears of deportations in the UK, asylum applications in Ireland have risen by nearly 300 %, compared to the same period five years ago.

Already, we can see where the cracks are in society, in our housing, hospitals, doctors, GPs.

In this close-knit community, Martin Barry knows everyone.

Hello, Mary.

But his adult son can't afford to rent a home here. Ireland has a chronic housing shortage. Migrants didn't cause that. But they've become a lightning rod for discontent. For Martin, there's also a feeling that a familiar world is slipping away. Here, the local pub for sale, the dance hall where he met his wife. So I'm looking at the clock there. It says 1995. And now, instead of being reopened for the community, the local hotel shelters asylum seekers.

To me, change is happening so quick. And 100 % for me, it's not to a racism. I mean, we've had the integration in Ireland for the last, we'll say, 20 years. More, I'm sure it's been more, but it's been slow, it's been steady. People came in smaller numbers.

As asylum seekers and communities to describe an often chaotic process. Newly arrived migrants camped out on Dublin streets. In order to make space for them, existing asylum seekers, like these South Africans, were moved out of their accommodation and driven 117 miles to Dundrum and protests.

There were posters everywhere. I was in Dublin for a year and integrated with the society. So right now, being here, I feel like I've been dumbed.

At Sunday Mass, near Dundrum, I found sympathy for those seeking asylum in Ireland, but also for the community.

People have different opinions. My own view I can understand why the country needs to take people, and I don't have a problem with it because we're relatively wealthy. But what I disagree with strongly is putting big numbers of people into small communities like this because it unbalances the community, and it's no good for the people coming in because there's nothing here for them.

In recent years, Ireland has seen an upsurge in anti-migrant violence. Arson attacks on buildings meant to house asylum seekers who faced beating and threats. The far-right has little voter support, but stokes fear. Apart from scuffles on the first day, Dundrum has been peaceful. But the protest has attracted far-right support on online. We were told this GoFundMe page was set up by a local businessman who posts far-right content, including conspiracy theories about the Irish population being replaced by migrants. Similar claims appear on some Dundrum posters.

Strangely mild, but it's actually...

Since I last saw you, we've seen evidence of far-right anti-Semitic posts by someone involved who has involved themselves with this group. Are you comfortable with people like that being involved with this?

I, as a person here from the community, an everyday person here, I can't really... It's not my responsibility to manage other people's opinions and how they act towards things.

I'm not- I don't think I was asking you that. I was saying, are you comfortable with somebody, with people with those opinions, far-right, anti-Semitic views, being part of this?

No, I wouldn't be comfortable with that. No, I wouldn't.

Nationally, it's a sign of fraught times that the minister handling immigration is canvassing in a general election with two police guards. He was recently attacked on the Hustings, but rejects claims he's ignored local communities.

I recognize in the initial parts of our response, there were times where communities... There wasn't that level engagement that we need. That's why we introduced the community engagement team, and that's why it's working.

But there has been a hardening of government policy. Deportation orders for those arriving illegally are up by 156 %. Here, police deployed near the border with Northern Ireland, expelling people from the country on the same day they're detained.

We removed them from the bus and we do further checks and balances here in this vehicle here beside me to make sure the person doesn't have legitimate status to be in Ireland. And if they don't have status to be in Ireland, we bring them to Dublin, where they're removed on a ferry back to the UK on the same day.

Same day removal?

Same day removal.

And there's no exceptions to that?

No.

Migration driven by conflict and poverty is a global crisis that's bitterly polarized opinion. The of how to respond is now reaching the smallest Irish communities. Fergal Keen, BBC News, Dundrum.