Performative cruelty: punching down on sanctuary and belonging

Image: BBC News

Six years ago today, I became an Irish citizen. I remember it as an uplifting and deeply emotional experience, especially in the aftermath of Brexit and as the British government's direction of travel contrasted ever more starkly with Ireland's reputation as a modern, confident and outward looking nation.

I cherish my Irish passport and what it represents: the burgundy cover (much nicer than blue/black😀); the green, white and gold stitching; the affirmation that we all belong to the Irish nation; and of course having the right to live and work anywhere within the European Economic Area. Ireland might still be partitioned, but naturalisation has given me an enhanced sense of belonging and reaffirmed this island as my home. My only regret is there are still too many barriers to naturalisation for people living in the six counties (currently it's only possible through marriage).

Holding up my Irish passport in March 2020 (whilst wondering when I'd be able to use it!)

But in the last six years I have watched attitudes towards migrants and migration harden throughout these islands. Both the current and previous British governments have ramped up on anti-migrant rhetoric whilst indulging and amplifying lazy/inaccurate language about 'illegal' migration. In recent months we've seen the Immigration White Paper and grotesque proposals for 'Earned Settlement', though over the weekend (whilst we were distracted by the unfolding situation in Iran and the Gulf states) they slipped out a further announcement that the review period for people granted refugee status would be halved with immediate effect.

As the Scottish Refugee Council and others have said, these changes will not make the asylum system operate more smoothly; they just introduce more bureaucracy and will leave people in limbo for longer. It's all about performative cruelty - playing to the gallery and punching down on people who have already experienced the trauma of forced migration. On top of that, they're also now suggesting the Earned Settlement proposals will apply retrospectively to people who are already living and working in the UK.

Collecting my Certificate of Naturalisation at Killarney Convention Centre on 2 March 2020

And the timing of these announcements suggests Labour has learnt nothing from the drubbing it received in last week's Gorton & Denton by-election. Indeed Starmer and Mahmood seem to be defiantly doubling down on their 'hug a racist' strategy. Do they seriously think trying to cosy up to Reform voters whilst pouring scorn on their own base will somehow revive Labour's fortunes? Tl;dr, it really won't!

Meanwhile in Ireland our government seems increasingly willing to adopt the same dehumanising rhetoric and reticence about facing down the far-right. Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan (seen by many as Fianna Fáil's leader-in-waiting) boasts about deportation flights like they're some kind of virility symbol, and is introducing plans to delay family reunion for people who have been granted International Protection. We're also increasingly hearing tropes about people coming over the border from the north, and soft-pedalling over attempts by the British government and others to water down key aspects of the ECHR.

This week is Ireland's Adult Learners' Festival (as well as it being Colleges Week in England). It goes without saying that misinformation and hate will always thrive in the absence of education. We need to stop seeing lifelong learning as just a pipeline for the labour market, rather than a social good that is arguably more critical than ever.