Representatives from Ireland’s newest political parties are emphasizing immigration as a central issue in their platforms for the upcoming 2024 European elections.
For the first time in the nation’s history, immigration has surged to the forefront of the political agenda.
At least four new political parties in Ireland, all critical of the federal government’s current immigration policies, will be contesting the European elections in June.
These parties assert that they are not against immigration per se but argue that the Irish government’s approach has been excessively liberal.
Ireland, with a population of five million, has seen nearly one million people enter the country since the mid-1990s.
The emergence of these new political entities is a response to various incidents affecting the capital, Dublin.
In May, the government began dismantling tents housing the increasing number of asylum seekers in the city. This action came six months after a series of far-right riots, ignited by anti-immigrant sentiment, led to dozens of arrests and significant unrest in Dublin.