SF U-turn on ‘open border’
TD AT ODDS WITH PARTY LEADER
A SINN Fein TD said the party was “opposed to open borders” just 12 weeks after leader Mary Lou McDonald said “there is no such thing”.
A spokesman told the Irish Daily Star last night the two statements are “not mutually exclusive”.
Donnchadh O Laoghaire has come under fire from other politicians over a video posted on X on Wednesday. Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore retweeted the video with the message “more dog whistles”.
He said: “I’m just about to go into the Oireachtas Justice Committee to discuss the EU Asylum and Migration Pact.
“Sinn Fein as a party is opposed to open borders. We believe in a migration system that is managed, efficient and enforced and where decisions are made at the Irish level, where possible.”
The tweet accompanying the video read: “Sinn Fein opposes open borders and advocates for a fair, efficient, and enforced immigration system that respects the human rights of those fleeing conflict and persecution.”
Appearing on RTE Radio
1’s This Week programme on February 4, 2024, Ms McDonald was asked if “under a Sinn Fein Government, would we likely see more deportations”.
She said: “The rule book needs to be known, transparent, properly resourced, efficiently applied.
“In circumstances where an application is not successful, well then of course the person leaves the jurisdiction.
“The State needs to know, needs to have some mechanism to know that that has in fact been the case.
Stance
Asked by the Irish Daily Star if the party’s stance on “open borders” had changed in the period between Ms McDonald and Mr O Laoghaire’s comments, a Sinn Fein spokesman disputed that there had been any change in position.
He said: “This is the party’s long-standing position, as set out in our 2020 General Election manifesto. The two statements you refer to are not mutually exclusive.”