Sharon Keogan: Uncontrolled migration is putting lives at risk
Senator Sharon Keogan addressed the Seanad after reports from Belfast that a man is in critical condition following an apparent attempted beheading. She praised local people who intervened, called for prayers for the victim, and demanded urgent action on migration vetting.
Senator Keogan began by describing the harrowing news from Belfast and commending community members who intervened to save the man at personal risk. She noted the investigation is ongoing, that motives and identities remain unclear, and asked the House to offer prayers for the man’s survival.
She placed the incident in a wider context of violent crimes cited in her address, naming prior cases including the murder of a Ukrainian refugee, the stabbing near Parnell Street, the killings in Sligo, the assault on Garda Síochána and the murder of Masuma Sohrabi in Galway. Keogan used these examples to argue the country is already confronting serious violent crime.
Keogan warned that Northern Ireland’s open border with the Republic and the connections to Britain heighten migration risks on the island. She called the current approach reckless, arguing it endangers citizens and demands change.
She urged the government to commit to an urgent, all-Ireland programme of vetting arrivals and to reach out to Stormont and London to form a coordinated system. She also stated she will second Senator Andrews’ amendment to the Order of Business.
Attack and community response
Senator Keogan began by describing the harrowing news from Belfast and commending community members who intervened to save the man at personal risk. She noted the investigation is ongoing, that motives and identities remain unclear, and asked the House to offer prayers for the man’s survival.
Context of violent incidents
She placed the incident in a wider context of violent crimes cited in her address, naming prior cases including the murder of a Ukrainian refugee, the stabbing near Parnell Street, the killings in Sligo, the assault on Garda Síochána and the murder of Masuma Sohrabi in Galway. Keogan used these examples to argue the country is already confronting serious violent crime.
Border risk and migration policy
Keogan warned that Northern Ireland’s open border with the Republic and the connections to Britain heighten migration risks on the island. She called the current approach reckless, arguing it endangers citizens and demands change.
Policy demands and next steps
She urged the government to commit to an urgent, all-Ireland programme of vetting arrivals and to reach out to Stormont and London to form a coordinated system. She also stated she will second Senator Andrews’ amendment to the Order of Business.
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Transcript
I rise to address the harrowing news we have received from Belfast today where a local man is in critical condition after surviving what appears to be an attempted beheading by a man believed to be a Sudanese national confirmed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland. I want to express my praise to those community members who bravely intervened to save his life at great risk to their own and I hope this House will join me in offering our prayers for his safety and survival. The investigation is ongoing, the motives are unclear, those involved are unnamed and the attacker's status is yet to be confirmed but two things remain clear. The first is that reckless migration policy is putting lives in danger. We have seen this here with the murder of the young Ukrainian refugee, the stabbing of young children near Parnell Street, the beheading of two gay men in Sligo and the terrorist assault of our own Garda Síochána last year. Most recently we have seen the brutal murder of the Iranian mother of two in Galway, Massouma Sarabi. Let us remember her name today, her partner standing accused. That we already have problems with violent crimes in this country is true enough but let me ask one thing. If anyone by now is still questioning the dangers of uncontrolled migration to the safety of our citizens then I must ask what more proof do they need? Will there ever be anything that will satisfy them or will they continue to stink their heads in the stand while blood is spilled on our streets? The second thing that is clear is that we cannot neglect the risk Northern Ireland poses in migration. We have an open border with that jurisdiction and it in turn has effectively opened borders with Britain which as we speak is struggling with years of unprecedented levels of irregular arrivals. It is with imminent urgency that 1. this government needs to commit to a serious programme of vetting arrivals and 2. that it must do so on an all-Ireland basis. We need to reach out to Stormont and London immediately to begin forming a system to ensure that we can control and know who is coming into our island. I will second the amendment by Senator Andrews to the Order of Business today.