Discrimination in job recruitment only highlights that more work needs to be done to make Ireland a fair place for immigrants, says Priya Rajsekar
Although it came as no big surprise, the recent research findings from the Equality Authority which show that Ireland’s employers largely preferred Irish employees to non-Irish ones was a worrying revelation.
The field study, commissioned by the Equality Authority and conducted by Economic and the Social Research Institute (ESRI), revealed that when it came to recruitment preferences, with other things remaining similar, employers in Ireland were more likely to chose Irish names over identifiably African, Asian and other European (German) names when it came to prospective new recruits.
It’s generally accepted that racism is often subtle and covert. It is usually confined to private conversation and hard-to-prove social behaviour. It is also widely accepted that people are naturally inclined to group with their own kind and place their trust more readily on people sharing their social and ethnic backgrounds.
Even so, when it comes to enterprise policy, the words ‘equal opportunities employer’ should mean just that. Racial discrimination at the recruitment level will have far-reaching implications for any society, marginalising minorities and thereby leading to increased levels of communal disharmony and criminal behaviour.
The widely reported situation involving the L’Oréal cosmetics giant is an important case in point. In its recruitment profile, the company’s Garnier division had specified that preference was to be given to ‘white’ French saleswomen as opposed to those of other ethnic origins. Both the company and the recruitment agency involved were fined.
However, the situation only served to highlight that racial discrimination in recruitment is a widespread problem in France. The results in Ireland, too, show that it is becoming a significant problem compared to other European countries.
A lot of work is being done by the Equality Authority and other regulatory agencies in this area. But a lot more still needs to be done. And no matter how many policies and regulations we have in place, it will be hard – if not impossible – to eliminate this kind of discrimination unless mindsets change.
For years now in our schools we have seen arguments against prioritisation on the basis of religion. Starting from their earliest school days, children form opinions and prejudices based on race and religion and inadvertently receive the message that is it ‘okay’ to discriminate on these grounds.
This then translates into discrimination during recruitment, employment, access to financial support and even legal and medical facilities.
Ireland’s immigrants may come and go, many leaving because of increasing xenophobia and discrimination. But immigration itself is here to stay, because as long as there is even a slim chance for a better life, people will take on all obstacles and challenges in this quest.
In a turbulent economic climate such as this one, the outflow of immigrants may be more rapid because aside from the difficulty in finding better economic opportunities, the challenges of integration will mean that immigrants will find it harder to put down roots here, and will use the country merely as a stepping stone to a better life.
Without a doubt, it is in the best interests of this country and its future that integration at all levels is given priority, and that measures to achieve this are not restricted to drawing up guidelines and legislation.
The candidates for the upcoming local elections are now well into their canvassing, and many of them will arrive at our doorsteps carrying ethnic names and identities. While immigrant participation in the Irish political process is still in its nascent stages, this is a great opportunity for Ireland to show that it’s ready for change. By letting policies and mandates take precedence over race and religion, it will surely help this country to lay down the foundations for a strong democratic future. The focus should be on getting it right at the start.
Priya Rajsekar is a freelance writer
priyaraj@naabi-limited.com
