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Immigration Control Platform
FounderÁine Ní Chonaill
Founded13 January 1998
IdeologyAnti-immigration
Euroscepticism
Political positionFar-right[1][2][3]

Immigration Control Platform (ICP) (Irish: An Feachtas um Smacht ar Inimirce[4]) is a political group which seeks to restrict immigration to Ireland. The organisation's website describes it as an "Irish NGO" funded by subscriptions and donations.[5] It was not registered in Ireland as a political party, but between 2002 and 2011 it ran non-party candidates in elections, with their election material displaying the Immigration Control Platform branding.

Positions and organisation

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The ICP has not applied for political party status,[6] although it is registered as a "Third Party" by the Standards in Public Office Commission[7] Its website describes it as a "voluntary organisation" for which:[5]

  • "The aim of the organisation is to address the phenomenon of immigration to Ireland and to lobby Government for a tight immigration policy",
  • "The organisation aims at a very rigorous policy in relation to asylum-seekers, refugees, and a determined response to all illegal immigration", and that,
  • "No one who holds views of racial superiority is welcome in the group."

ICP's main activities are writing letters to newspapers, issuing press releases, and maintaining a website.[8] It has also issued leaflets and occasionally held small protests and pickets.[8] It has an executive committee elected by its membership at an annual meeting. It claims to be funded by membership fees and private donations. Its leaders have described it as a single-issue group.[9] Historian Judith Pryor interprets its policy as favouring white immigrants over non-whites.[4] ICP denies being racist.[10][11]

ICP has no policy on Irish illegal immigration to the United States, an issue sometimes linked with immigration to Ireland.[9] ICP candidate Ted Neville had himself spent time illegally in the United States.[12]

History

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ICP's most prominent member is Áine Ní Chonaill, whose official title is public relations officer.[13] A schoolteacher from Clonakilty, she stood in Cork South-West in the 1997 general election as an independent on an anti-immigration platform, winning 0.84% of the first-preference vote.[14] The election came early in the Celtic Tiger economic boom and an increase in asylum seekers from Eastern Europe and further afield. ICP was founded at a meeting organised by Ní Chonaill in Ennis on 13 January 1998.[15] The meeting was disrupted by anti-racism activists, and the venues of later ICP conferences were not disclosed in advance.[15][16]

In 1999 ICP did not run any candidates in that year's European Parliament elections, however the group campaigned against Proinsias De Rossa of the Labour Party, claiming it would be disastrous for Ireland if he was elected to the European Parliament because of his pro-immigrant views.[17] De Rossa's candidacy was successful despite the ICP's efforts.

In 2002 the leader of the far-right British National Party Nick Griffin encouraged Irish voters to support Immigration Control Platform and offered financial aid to the organisation.[18]

Journalist Harry McGee in 2003 described Irish media coverage of ICP as disproportionate to its small size and generally hostile to its views.[13] ICP has refused to tell the media or Oireachtas how many members it has.[19][20]

In 2003 Ní Chonaill along with then-chairman John Oakes attended a discussion on immigration at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights.[21] Ní Chonaill felt that a January 2003 Supreme Court decision, which permitted deportation of illegal immigrants with Irish-born children, did not go far enough.[21][22] ICP supported the successful 2004 referendum which restricted citizenship by birth, a practice ICP said encouraged birth tourism by pregnant illegal immigrants.

After 2011, ICP stopped running candidates in general elections and refocused the organisation as an "NGO".

Ní Chonaill and Ted Neville of ICP spoke at the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality on 1 April 2015.[9][20] During that meeting Anne Ferris was made to withdraw a comment comparing ICP's views to Nazism.[9][20]

Elections

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ICP candidates in elections
Date Candidate Election Constituency 1st-pref %
[n 1]		 Refs
2002 Áine Ní Chonaill General Dublin South-Central 2.1 [14]
2002 Ted Neville General Cork South Central 0.67 [23]
2004 Pat Talbot Local Dublin City Council, Cabra 1.65 [10][24]
2004 Ted Neville Local Cork City Council, South Central 1.44 [23]
2007 Pat Talbot General Dublin Central 0.69 [24]
2007 John Donnelly General Dublin North 0.52 [25]
2007 Ted Neville General Cork South Central 1.36 [23]
2009 Pat Talbot By-election Dublin Central 2.16 [24]
2011 Ted Neville[n 2] General Cork South Central 0.82 [23]
Note
  1. ^ Percentage of valid first-preference votes cast for the candidate.
  2. ^ Neville stood in 2011 under the label of "Irish Solidarity Party" (which is not a registered party).[23][26]

General election results

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Election Seats won ± Position First Pref votes % Government Leader
2007
0 / 166
0
12 		1,329 0.06 No seats Áine Ní Chonaill

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Ní Chonaill to debate immigration with SF councillor". Irish Examiner. 28 November 2004.
  2. ^ O'Malley, Eoin (2008). "Why Is There No Radical Right Party In Ireland?" (PDF). Despite these features, the only generally accepted radical-right group, the Immigration Control Platform, has failed to register any notable support.
  3. ^ McDonald, Henry (6 October 2002). "Bertie's blunders help No's". The Guardian. Far-right groups allied with the No campaign, such as the Anti-Immigration Control Platform, have argued that enlargement will lead to Ireland being 'swamped' by Poles, Czechs and Hungarians who will be entitled to work anywhere in the EU.
  4. ^ a b Pryor, Judith (9 August 2007). "'In the name of God and of the dead generations': Proclaiming the Irish Republic". Constitutions: Writing Nations, Reading Difference. Routledge. pp. 47, 77 (fn.1). ISBN 9781134082926. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  5. ^ a b "About Us". Immigration Control Platform website. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  6. ^ Focus - General Election 2007 Archived 26 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Irish Times, 19 May 2007
  7. ^ "Register of Third Parties". sipo.ie. Archived from the original on 28 May 2018.
  8. ^ a b Quinn, Emma (2008). "Organisations and Agencies". Handbook on Immigration and Asylum in Ireland 2007. ESRI. pp. 263–4. ISBN 9780707002743. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d Duffy, Rónán (1 April 2015). "Oireachtas told: 'Illegal immigrants are giving two fingers to the State'". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 1 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  10. ^ a b McCárthaigh, Seán (27 May 2004). "Putting Irish people first". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  11. ^ Millar, Scott (12 January 2010). "Irish far right groups remain on the margins of political life". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  12. ^ Freyne, Patrick (25 November 2011). "Pride and blatant prejudice". The Herald. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  13. ^ a b McGee, Harry (2003). "Media response to asylum". In Fraser, Ursula; Harvey, Colin J. (eds.). Sanctuary in Ireland, Perspectives on Asylum Law and Policy. Institute of Public Administration. p. 201. ISBN 9781904541042. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  14. ^ a b "Aine Ni Chonaill". ElectionsIreland. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  15. ^ a b "Meeting of new anti-immigration group in Ennis disrupted by groups of protesters". The Irish Times. 14 January 1998. p. 6. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  16. ^ "Racist slur on meeting". The Mirror]. London. 21 August 1998. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  17. ^ Alan Kinsella (7 April 2021). "Immigration Control Platform -Episode 42". "The Others" The Alan Kinsella Podcast (Podcast). Archived from the original on 7 April 2021.
  18. ^ Byrne, Nicola (28 April 2002). "Far right leader with BNP links was Ahern aide". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020.
  19. ^ Edwards, Elaine (1 April 2015). "Report on improving system for asylum seekers due 'in weeks'". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015. Asked by independent TD Finian McGrath how many members her organisation had, Ms Ní Chonaill said she had never given that answer to journalists and would "not allow them to get it now indirectly".
  20. ^ a b c "Undocumented Migrants: Immigration Control Platform". Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality proceedings. Oireachtas. 1 April 2015. Archived from the original on 19 May 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  21. ^ a b "Immigration Bill 2002: Presentations". Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights proceedings. 19 June 2003. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  22. ^ "Lobe & Osayande v Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform". Dublin: Courts Service. 23 January 2003. pp. [2003] 1 I.R. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  23. ^ a b c d e "Ted Neville". ElectionsIreland. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  24. ^ a b c "Pat Talbot". ElectionsIreland. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  25. ^ "John Donnelly2". ElectionsIreland. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  26. ^ "Ted Neville". Candidates 2011. TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
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