The Workers’ Party has called for Ireland to assist refugees with shelter and demand the ending of NATO interventions in Syria, Libya and Iraq which have provoked the current crisis.
Workers’ Party Dublin City Councillor Éilis Ryan said; “The suffering of those forced to seek refuge in Europe due to the destruction of their home societies is an indictment of the current political establishment in Europe. The images of the dead being washed on to the beaches of the Mediterranean should stand as the defining epitaph of the immoral agenda of the current European political elite.
“The Irish government has been wringing its hands claiming there’s little it can do, when in fact its actions have contributed to creating the crisis. The Fine Gael-Labour Government has been complicit in supporting a EU position which criminalises refugees. It is our moral and legal obligation to ensure those fleeing conflict are provided with immediate humanitarian assistance including onwards travel to areas where suitable accommodation and support is available to them. Instead, our Government is supporting a policy which forces refugees into the grip of criminal gangs”, said Cllr. Ryan.
Cllr. Ryan added; “Meanwhile, our Government is actively facilitating NATO interventions in the Middle East and North Africa by allowing the use of Shannon Airport by members of this military alliance. By facilitating NATO involvement in Syria, Iraq and Libya, the Irish government has unquestionably contributed to the scale of conflict, exodus and human suffering we are witnessing on Europe’s borders.”
Cllr. Ryan concluded; “Ireland should welcome the victims of the US and EU policy in the Middle East and North Africa. The Workers’ Party is calling on the Irish Government and people to offer comprehensive humanitarian assistance to these refugees. This should include the acceptance of several thousand being humanely housed and supported in Ireland
“Irish Government must also end NATO military transit through Ireland. Only when stability is allowed to return to the refugees home countries by the ending of the intervention of the forces of the NATO States and the despotic Gulf monarchies through their Islamic terrorist proxies can this disaster begin to end.”