A community integration charity has accused the Irish government of placing too much focus on integration into the labour market rather than into society. The Sanctuary Runners charity, which promotes integration between asylum seekers and Irish people through sport, has called on the leaders of all major political parties to take a new “two-way” approach to migrant integration.
The charity expressed frustration at the “common lack of understanding of the intrinsic importance of community integration” and said the State should not simply fund projects but dedicate personnel and resources to improve integration. It should learn from the successes of integration through sport and develop a programme for all Irish sporting bodies to connect in a “meaningful way” with minority ethnic groups. Government departments and public bodies, “which often consist almost exclusively of white Irish people”, must change how they consult and communicate with migrant communities