Immigrants into Eire must build themselves “an asset” to Irish family as a result of they have got discovered a rustic the place they are able to are living “freely and safely”, an awards match in Dublin has heard.
“Show you’re not here for social welfare, you’re here because you can make a difference and because you’re a human being,” mentioned Dr Jean-Pierre Eyanga Ekumeloko, probably the most recipients of the Dublin South Town Partnership (DSCP) awards for ambassadors of African descent.
“Make yourself an asset for Ireland because Ireland has given us the chance to live freely and safely. We owe it to Ireland.”
Reflecting on his personal go from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Eire within the Nineties, Dr Ekumeloko mentioned he was once in a position to “fly high” on account of the Irish academics, teachers, politicians, gardaí and businessmen who helped him alongside the way in which.
Dr Ekumeloko was once one in every of 14 family honoured for his or her paintings in condition, training, advocacy, politics and public construction at a rite in Dublin’s Richmond Barracks on Thursday as a part of the Decade of Family of African Descent in Eire.
Alternative recipients incorporated Bulelani Mfaco from the Motion of Asylum Seekers in Eire; psychiatric baby sitter Olubukola Amudat Idowu; Garda Emmanuel Adepoju; social assistant Bronwyn April and PhD candidate Gordon Ogutu.
The development highlighted the “key skills” those family have delivered to Eire, mentioned DSCP well-known govt Una Lowry. “From enterprise to employment, we need these people coming in to keep the country running.”
Regardless of already being extremely professional of their section of experience, lots of the award recipients needed to upskill after they moved right here, she added.
“It can be very difficult for a person who has faced adversity in their own country to come to Ireland, go through direct provision, gain status, and start again,” mentioned Ms Lowry. “They’ve gone through a lot of trauma before coming here and then the trauma of trying to gain status within this country. They shown huge resilience in doing that.”
Dublin town Public Cooperation well-known govt Noel Wardick famous the utility of keeping the development at a presen of heightened tensions round immigration.
“It’s a very depressing, dangerous situation we’re in at the moment,” he mentioned. “The political narrative has taken a very bad turn and we would call on politicians to be very cautious about the language they use and equally the media in how it reports it.”
Eire already had an “appalling record of treating vulnerable people”, comparable to unmarried moms and disabled family, mentioned Mr Wardick.
“That we would have an equally appalling record in treating some of the most vulnerable people reaching our shores doesn’t come as a surprise. And that’s a very sad thing to have to say,” he mentioned. “We have a tendency in this country to portray ourselves as warm and welcoming but I think if you scratch the surface, it’s only certain individuals or certain classes of society that are treated warmly and welcomingly.”
DSCP public integration officer Mpho Mokotso, who organised Thursday’s match, mentioned those that imagine migrants are “uneducated” and right here “to take from the Government” are being “misled”.
By means of striking themselves available in the market, the award recipients are “tackling the misconceptions being spread by social media and the far right,” mentioned Ms Mokotso.
“The Irish have the dream of living in the US, Canada, Australia, Australia. Ask yourself, are you migrant when they get there? Should people not treat you the same in those countries? Why is it different when you move away, but it’s the opposite when people come here?
“We all want the same thing, we’re all human at the end of the day.”