Calls for migrant integration measures

By Marguerite Kiely

“I’ve worked with thousands of asylum seekers over the years, and I can say hand on heart that there wasn’t one person that I was afraid of or who gave me any reason for concern whatsoever.”

Those are the words of Graham Clifford, founder of Sanctuary Runners, an initiative which uses running, jogging and walking to bring together migrants and Irish residents.

Graham has called for a national conversation on the integration of migrants into communities both in Cork and Ireland.

As he and 450 others, including 80 people from Direct Provision centres and 70 Ukrainians, gear up for the upcoming Cork City Marathon this Sunday, Clifford emphasised the importance of bridging the gap between Irish residents and migrants. According to Graham, without integration, there is a disconnect which creates “ignorance and fear”.

“What we are currently seeing is a problem that’s been about 23 years in the making,” he told the Cork Independent.

“Since Direct Provision started the state has never had any proper policy in terms of community integration. There was always going to be a straw that broke the camel’s back and that happened to be the Ukrainian war. It was predictable that eventually people were going to look for somebody to blame and the person who looks least like them becomes the target,” he said.

Graham added that although there is plenty of goodwill and support, the majority of Irish people have not sat down and had a conversation with a migrant.

“We did a survey and we found that of our Sanctuary Runners, 74% of the Irish people who run with us had never had an interaction with an asylum seeker or refugee before. Now, 81% of those would say they’ve developed friendships with refugees and asylum seekers.”

In terms of housing international protection applicants, Graham said there is a slowness on the part of the Government to react, with the Department of Housing “not really being part of the approach in terms of dealing with international protection applicants and Ukrainians coming into the state. It’s very much being left to Roderic O’Gorman and his department, but you need a cross-governmental approach,” he said.

Olivia Teahan of Nasc, a migrant rights centre based in Cork, echoed Graham’s sentiments.

“In the past 2 years, we have seen a significant increase in the number of people claiming international protection, as well as approximately 80,000 Ukrainians. In the context of many years of ineffective government policy, the pressure for suitable, affordable accommodation is unprecedented,” she told the Cork Independent.

Olivia explained approximately 5,000 of the people currently living in accommodation centres have already received their immigration status but they cannot move out due to the lack of affordable accommodation options.

With the cost living crisis and housing impacting communities in a very real way Olivia said she believes that people have very legitimate concerns “but those concerns do need to be differentiated from a loud minority who are weaponising those issues,” she said.

“The wrong people are being targeted. Those problems were many years in the making and they are being used to sow division,” she added.

Looking ahead to Sunday, Graham acknowledged the tremendous support from the community in Cork and has urged people to cheer them on in the Cork City Marathon.

“The outpouring from support is massive in Cork, people understand that showing solidarity is important. If you see us in a Sanctuary Runners t-shirt just cheer for us and show through their voice and enthusiasm that Cork city is a city of welcomes.”