Immigration is considered a very hostile topic by many people because it creates a flux of unfamiliar cultures. The problems are ever present today in many developed nations, including ours. The issue is becoming more complex as we realize that many immigration issues arise in developed nations that are in need of workforce replacement due to their lacking birth rates. An example of this can be found in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Based on a New York Times article from Nov. 28, there has recently been a rise in racial violence against immigrants in Belfast. This area is not unfamiliar to this with widespread violence historically. There have been frequent conflicts between people with different backgrounds, notably those between the Catholics and the Protestants. Today, many possess a violent and hostile attitude toward the waves of immigrants coming to the area that extends beyond religious differences. This issue symbolizes the major problems of Europe as a whole: rapid demographic shift and economic downfall. Poor finances in Europe carve out good portions of wealth from the working or middle classes, which has made them frustrated at the strange shift they have witnessed historically.
The rejection, or uneasy feelings, about the immergence of different kinds of people sounds almost natural, but should that instinct overwhelm the need to respect diversity? Immigration to Europe is not a random phenomenon—it has been encouraged by its governments and collectively agreed upon by the people. The European Union relaxed some of its immigration policies to allow more people to move in and this precipitated a rapid demographic change among the populations. Also, the recent wars and destruction in Western Asia have driven thousands of refugees to immigrate illegally for survival and economic needs. Whether illegal or legal, Europe is now entangled with a desperate need to solve and deal with these new people flocking in.
The typical answers to the new demographic shift have come in rather unfavorably violent fashions. From 2013 to 2014, there was a 43 percent increase in racially motivated offenses, with a 70 percent increase in Belfast. There seems to have been little to no changes on the protections of immigrants from racial violence or the hostile reactions of natives. The testimonies offered by recent immigrants, and those who have lived in the UK for decades, on this topic actually parallel each other. Although the prosecution rates on those racial offenses are quite successful, the voices for intolerance still emerge in public scenes. One example is James McConnell, a fundamentalist protestant preacher who said to his congregation, “Islam is heathen; Islam is satanic; Islam is a doctrine spawned in hell.” One may also encounter flags of the Ku Klux Klan in the streets and immigrants may find themselves threatened by attacks from unknown racist people. The violent behaviors are seemingly unacceptable, yet as the testimonies of past and present parallel each other, there have been little efforts or movements to stop them.
Although 1.8 percent of Northern Ireland’s population is made up of immigrants, there has been a great increase in number of immigrants when compared to the past. But, there is little representation of their voices in the political or social fields, as there is only one ethnic minority representative in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Some immigrants actually tolerate such threats and violence because they are being paid at a much higher rate there than in their home countries.
Our country is not far from the immigration policy conflicts like those seen in Northern Ireland and the rest of Europe. The immigrants who come to fill the empty spaces for needy jobs are treated with harsh hostility and lack of proper regulation from related policies.
This country is not so unfamiliar with that issue—there are ongoing issues of illegal immigration and tensions between different races. In order to solve these issues, perhaps, there should be a change in both society and the government. There should be more minority representation and public awareness to the immigrants’ cultures. It is better to listen and to talk than to resort to violent methods that would only inflame further hatred and conflicts with no real solutions, just like the situation in Northern Ireland today.
If finding economic wellbeing for immigrants and natives alike cannot be accomplished easily but only through careful negotiations in a longer time frame, then shouldn’t we focus on valuable communication and not allow ourselves to accept this pointless violence?
Do you agree with Hae Rin’s take on immigration? Could Belfast and the rest of Europe be foreshadowing the future of the U.S. immigration crisis? Let us know what you think. Send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
