Madam, - Kevin Myers (October 22nd) cites Nigeria as having oil and fraud as its natural resources.
Such an irresponsible remark is unbecoming indeed. I am a Nigerian and I feel very insulted that your writer would generalise and make such a degrading statement about the nationals of a country.
I work here and pay tax, which goes on to service a lot of Irish people on social welfare. I did not get child benefit and as I will leave before retirement will not benefit from the social contribution which is deducted from my earnings.
Does Kevin Myers know there are many professionals out of the "uncountable" Nigerians - such as doctors and nurses - here?
Are they using "fraudulent skills they have acquired" to save Irish lives?
Believe it or not, your welfare payments are not enough to lure the Nigerians that you see here to this country. They have far too much pride and set their sights on greater economic goals than to come here for that.
Can he not see that Nigerians come here to legalise their stay abroad? Unfortunately the asylum process is the only choice the Westerners have given them. - Yours etc.,
BODE BAPTISTE,
Oakdale Park,
Dublin
... ...
Madam, - In their response to Kevin Myers on the subject of "asylum-seekers" (October 24th) Joshua Castellino and C. Kenny use a sophistry much loved of asylum supporters.
They refer to the concept, cherished by us all, of "innocent until proven guilty". This, of course, has no relevance to asylum. It is a way of saying that one's rights may not be taken away as punishment (one's liberty by imprisonment or one's property by fine) until guilt is proven.
Since there is no right for Nigerians etc. to be allowed to live in our state, there is no right lost, even if one totally debars them or anyone else from the so-called asylum system. There is no such thing as a right to asylum, only the right of a state to give it.
This easily checked fact was apparently unknown to the framers of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, who put in an Article 18 referring to the "right to asylum", which they now expect us to put into the EU Constitution.
We should not be so foolish. - Yours, etc.,
AINE Ní CHONAILL,
Immigration Control Platform,
PO Box 6469,
Dublin 2