Paul Murphy warns of racism toward Russian-speaking and Black refugees
Paul Murphy linked far-right hate speech to state racism and criticised EU and Irish policies he said legitimise anti-migrant sentiment. He raised allegations of racist abuse against Russian-speaking people in Ireland and new evidence of discrimination against refugees fleeing Ukraine, calling for a strong government and EU response.
Hate speech and state policy
Paul Murphy argued that far-right hatred and the racist policies of the EU and the Irish state are politically connected - one legitimises the other. He cited “fortress Europe”, the turning of the Mediterranean into a graveyard for refugees, the French presidential campaign chasing Islamophobic positions, and recent scenes at the Spanish enclave of Malia as examples of how state and far-right actions feed into each other. He also criticised Irish direct provision as treating people in “what is basically open prisons”.
Allegations from the Russian-speaking community
He reported receiving an email from members of the Russian-speaking community in Ireland - described as Ukrainian, Belarusian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian, Armenian, Georgian and children of Russian-speaking parents - who say they have faced verbal and physical abuse. He said pupils, workers and members of the Orthodox Church in Ireland had been targeted and urged a clear public condemnation of racism and discrimination against Russian-speaking or ethnically Russian people.
Discrimination against refugees from Ukraine
Murphy highlighted reports that black people and foreigners fleeing Ukraine have been discriminated against - separated into different queues and left waiting for days - and said such reports were too often dismissed as disinformation despite coverage in outlets like CNN, Time and Vox. He cited new evidence from Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, Ambassador Prostyko, who reportedly said foreigners were being moved out of sight to avoid conflict with Ukrainians. Murphy demanded that Irish and EU authorities state that all refugees are welcome regardless of skin colour or passport.
Calls for government and EU action
He urged a strong statement from the Irish government and the EU condemning racism and discrimination by any authorities - including Ukrainian authorities, Polish border guards or other EU border personnel. He warned that sanctions and collective treatment of the Russian people risk legitimising abuse, and insisted that a mass anti-racist and anti-fascist movement is needed to combat both street-level hate and state policies that exclude migrants.
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I want to raise two particular points, but before I get to them I'll make a couple of general remarks about the relationship between hate speech and racist speech and the kind of hatred spewed by those on the far right the relationship between that, which obviously needs to completely be combated and fought in the best way by building a mass anti-racist and anti-fascist movement, but it is connected to the hate policies and racist state racism of the European Union and the Irish government, and they're not two unrelated things, it's not the case that the EU can hypocritically say we're against hate speech and so on over here but over there, treat migrants the way they are treated, turn the Mediterranean into a graveyard of refugees because of the pursuit of fortress Europe, they're related things, they're even politically related, one legitimizes the other, look at what's happening now in the French presidential elections where the candidate of the supposed centre-right is chasing Le Pen and Zemmour in a race to be the most Islamophobic, the most anti-migrant, in turn legitimizing their discourse and allowing them to go further to the right, and the scenes seen in the last couple of days from the Spanish enclave of Malia, whereby over a couple of thousands of desperate refugees made it over the kind of wire guard, only to be beaten mercilessly by the Spanish police, look at the Irish state racist policies of direct provision, how people are treated in what is basically open prisons, there is a relationship between the two and it's utterly hypocritical not to see it. The two specific points I want to raise, one, we got an email from members of the Russian-speaking community here, raising concerning points about racism that they are facing, and they make the point that they're made up of all nationalities, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian, Armenian, Georgian, and children of Russian-speaking parents. But they're saying that in the context of the horrific, Putin's horrific invasion of Ukraine, that their children have faced verbal and physical abuse from other pupils, verbal and physical abuse of members of Russian-speaking community at workplaces and in public places, and a member of the Orthodox Church in Ireland had received threats and was verbally abused. I do think it's vital that a message goes out that any sort of racism or discrimination addressed against Russian-speaking people or ethnically Russian people here is, you know, absolutely condemned. And I do think it's an unfortunate, or it's a potential unfortunate side by-product of treating the Russian people collectively as in some way responsible for Putin's crimes. And the effect of having sanctions that are aimed at the people, as opposed to simply the oligarchs, can be to legitimise that kind of behaviour, and a very strong statement needs to be made. And the final point I want to make is a very worrying point, which is just, new evidence of has just emerged. And I've repeatedly raised the issue about the racist discrimination in relation to refugees fleeing from Ukraine, that there definitely seems to be discrimination on the basis of skin colour, under the basis of passport. And that has been previously dismissed as Russian disinformation campaigns, despite the fact it's been reported in CNN, in Time, in Vox, in loads and loads of outlets, you know, very credible stories of black people being separated into different queues and being forced to wait much, much longer, both by elements of the Ukrainian military and by Polish border guards. There was one story I saw of people being forced to wait four days at the border, not being given anything to eat. But unfortunately, the evidence that is taking place is a lot stronger again today, based on what the Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, Ambassador Prostyko, told a select committee today. What he said was extremely concerning. He said, quote, problems arise when young foreigners are prioritised over women and children of Ukrainian citizenship who are trying to get on the same trains. Maybe we will put all foreigners in some other place so they won't be visible and there won't be conflict with Ukrainians trying to flee in the same direction. This is something that has to be taken care of and we will be doing it. And I think it's vital that a strong statement comes out from the Irish government, from the EU, to say that all refugees are welcome, regardless of skin colour, regardless of passport, and there should be no discrimination by the Ukrainian authorities, by the Polish border guards or by any other EU border guards. Thanks, everybody.
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