We should be talking about the broken immigration system not riots, says DUP politician
Northern Ireland Assembly member Jonathan Buckley has accused politicians of “burying their heads in the sand about the impact of immigration.”
Speaking to GB News, he said: “It’s distressing to see the violence on our streets tonight. I’m angry. I was horrified, disgusted, at the attack in North Belfast yesterday in the early hours of the morning.
“And instead of us talking and focusing on the issue, which is a Sudanese asylum seeker that attempted to behead a citizen of the United Kingdom on the streets of Belfast, we’re spending the majority of our time talking about disturbance on the streets of Northern Ireland.
“That’s wrong, that achieves nothing. We need to focus our attention on what is a broken system.
“Because I would rather be hearing today from the Prime Minister in detail, and indeed those of authority, about how an individual could leave Sudan in a car, drive to Egypt, get on a plane, and go to Paris, get on a plane in Paris and go to Dublin, get on a bus and travel into Northern Ireland, get into Northern Ireland, claim asylum seeker status in nine months given the leave to remain.
“That is a broken system. That’s what we should be talking about today. The violence on our streets serves no purpose, only to inflict further pain on many people who come to our country legally, who pay and contribute, pay their taxes, respect our culture and values.
“They’re petrified tonight, and I think we need to take stock of that point. Because when I speak to many of my constituents, and there was trouble in my constituency right to the early hours of this morning, and I was working with distressed residents, with the police to try to bring calm.
“Respect the rightful need for protest, to express anger, but it serves none of them to see violence on our streets, where indiscriminately, people are being targeted. That’s wrong. And we should call it out.
“And whilst there are many people that are attending those protests who are demonstrating legally and who are peaceful protesters, their attempts are being undermined by violence.
“But the wider issue of immigration and the dismissal from some within our political establishments of what actually has been going on. I brought many motions to the Northern Ireland Assembly to talk about uncontrolled and illegal immigration.
“I was branded far right and racist, I was dismissed and sidelined, whilst those politicians bury their heads in the sands. They can’t hide from what’s happening right now.”
