On Tuesday, Sinn Féin launched its new immigration policy document. The proposals, which come eight weeks after the party’s poor performance in the June local elections, call for a system where “fairness is paramount”, people are “treated with dignity” and where “local communities are treated with respect”.
The plan also proposes to “end private profiteering” by private landlords housing asylum seekers and a move to state-run accommodation.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said audits should take place beforehand, examining the housing, healthcare and transport facilities available in a community before any centres are established. She also made it clear centres should be located in more affluent parts of the country.
The proposal comes in the aftermath of more unrest at the site of a proposed accommodation centre, this time in the Dublin suburb of Coolock.
How would this plan work and might it change voters’ minds in the upcoming general election?
Jennifer Bray, political correspondent, discusses the key takeaways from Sinn Féin’s immigration plan.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon.
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