Saying you oppose “open borders” is a “classic far-right dog whistle”, Labour Party TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has said.
The comments were made over the weekend during an immigration debate on RTÉ Radio 1’s Saturday With Colm Ó Mongáin, which featured Ó Ríordáin and Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy.
“I have to say, I’m quite depressed listening to Matt, because it’s quite clear that Sinn Féin are continuing down this road of playing the anti-immigration card,” Labour’s Dublin Bay North TD said.
Carthy immediately rebuffed this claim, saying: “Then you obviously didn’t hear a word I said.”
Ó Ríordáin continued on to say that the “very first line” in a recent Sinn Féin statement was “Sinn Féin are opposed to open borders.”
“That’s a classic far-right dog whistle – it is a classic far-right dog whistle,” he said.
“And I’ve been watching Sinn Féin over the last period of time.”
Notably, Ó Ríordáin is previously on record as having said that Ireland does not have “limitless resources” and can’t “provide for the vast number of economic migrants” who may want to enter the country, adding: “It would be wrong for us to pretend otherwise.”
In September 2014, referring to immigration, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said "we do not have limitless resources," and that "we simply cannot" expect to "provide for the vast number of economic migrants who seek a better life."
"It would be wrong for us to pretend otherwise," he added. pic.twitter.com/JaVXqGRIOj
— Ben Scallan 🇮🇪 (@Ben_Scallan) December 12, 2023
In last Saturday’s interview, he went on to claim that “the EU seems to be silent” on why asylum seekers are attempting to enter Europe “in the first place” – namely, factors like “climate change” and “political instability.”
Asked how the Labour Party would be voting on the EU Migration Pact next week, Ó Ríordáin said they would be supporting it.
“We are broadly in favour of this pact, and we broadly believe that Ireland should opt-in,” he said.
“But obviously we are concerned with the human rights implications of this – Sinn Féin seem to be concerned about something else. And I can’t find in your statement during the week any indication of solidarity or a humanitarian approach to the individual asylum seeker or refugee.”
Last month Ó Ríordáin levelled similar criticisms at Sinn Féin, claiming that those opposed to Ireland’s current immigration policy are “winning”, and that parties like Sinn Féin are “running to the Right” on immigration.
“The protestors are winning…it’s working”: Labour Party TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has warned that those opposed to Ireland’s current immigration policy are “winning”, claiming that parties like Sinn Féin are “running to the Right” on immigration.https://t.co/Nr9Co3N6qn
— gript (@griptmedia) March 22, 2024