The Government does not have a comprehensive integration policy and its conflicting policies in the area "seriously undermine" any initiatives that are in place, a new report states.
Racism in Ireland, a document to be published next week by the European Network Against Racism, an NGO umbrella group, concludes that racism is evident across all sectors of Irish society and impacts significantly on the lives of ethnic and religious minority groups.
Focusing on 2006, it notes that some integration and social inclusion initiatives have been developed, but concludes that "the Irish Government does not have a comprehensive integration policy despite increasing ethnic diversity in Ireland today." It states: "The continued treatment of migrant workers as economic units, the lack of any policy on integration for asylum seekers, the deportation of Irish children of non-Irish national parents and other conflicting policies seriously undermine any initiatives that are in place."
The report praises the launch of the Traveller education strategy and the decision to include a question on ethnic background in last year's census. "However," it continues, "positive developments are marred by a disappointing, long-awaited scheme for an Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill, slow progress in relation to developments to address racist crime and a piecemeal approach to the implementation of the National Action Plan against Racism."
