The DUP has raised concerns a council’s welcome status for refugees could create a “serious situation” if it encourages “illegal immigrants” into the district.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s (NMDDC) active and healthy committee approved a proposal on Monday (June 16) to become a ‘City of Sanctuary’.
This would see the local authority join a network of communities and organisations to become places of safety and inclusion for refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants.
Rowallane DUP cllr, Jonathan Jackson said: “The DUP does support an approach to allow those fleeing war or persecution to find refuge in the UK and we do fully support that. And obviously that has to be underpinned by the proper legal processes.
“Just one concern would be to make sure that this charter does not encourage illegal immigrants to come here. We are just conscious of the situation and trying to avoid serious problems that this can cause in our local communities.”
The move by the council comes amid recent outbreaks of violence across areas of Northern Ireland following a recent report of an alleged sexual assault by two teenage Romanian boys in Co Antrim. The defendants have denied the charges.
The Sanctuary City proposal involves generating a network including schools, health and local authorities to offer support for ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland communities
Rowallane Alliance rep, David Lee-Surginor said: “I want to fully welcome and support this. When the Ukrainians were here when Russia started attacking Ukraine, I got to meet many Ukrainian families, kids who have been traumatised.
“We as a council were there for them with wide open arms, we welcomed them and embraced them.
“Recently, I also met ladies who had escaped the Syrian war as well as those from Afghanistan with the change of the regime and they got to tell me their story first hand and how they fled with nothing, except the clothes on their backs.
“It is amazing to hear as a council we are moving forward and are full of compassion.”
Slieve Gullion Sinn Fein cllr, Declan Murphy added: “This is something that many Irish people would also unfortunately have experienced, the need for sanctuary in different parts of the world.
“Honestly, given the way things are at the moment with so many needless conflicts and so many people needing sanctuary, it is good to know that what we already provide, we are going to strengthen.”
Newry SDLP rep, Doire Finn said: “I think particularly in the backdrop of the violence that we have seen across Northern Ireland in the last week that we continue to be welcoming in NMDDC.
“I had the pleasure of attending the Muslim Community Association Eid celebrations just a couple of weeks ago and it was something that all of the attendees there said that they felt welcome within our district.
“There was an incident in Newry at the weekend (racial verbal abuse), it wasn’t particularly bad compared to other places, but I would like to propose that this committee writes to the Executive office and ask for a progress update on a number of strategies in place to look after refugees and asylum seekers.
“We have seen violence that is unacceptable on the streets of Northern Ireland and I am glad it hasn’t happened in our district, but we need to work pro-actively to ensure that it never does.”
