People want ‘compassion’ on immigration, Michelle O’Neill says

The first minister has said that people want “fairness and compassion” over the issue of immigration.

Michelle O’Neill was speaking as plans for an Irish language anti-racism week were revealed.

Run by Spórtlann na hÉireann in west Belfast, the week includes music and sports events.

Pupils from the Irish medium Coláiste Feirste school are among those backing the initiative.

Aoibhín, 18, told BBC News NI she was concerned about some of what she sees online and on social media.

“We’re living in a world that’s becoming concerningly full of hate I think,” she said.

“There’s a lot of right wing rhetoric on the media and online and on social media especially.

“There’s a rise in racism and in all hatred, and I think people are becoming increasingly disillusioned and isolated as well.”

Eabha, 13, performed a song in French at an event to launch the week’s events.

“It was about more or less just silence or getting silenced and just like coming out of your own shell,” she said.

“My mummy told me I should learn it because she fell in love with the song.”

Eabha said that there were many benefits to being bilingual.

“A lot of cultures bring a lot of different new things,” she said.

“We wouldn’t have half the stuff that we have in this room right now if it wasn’t for different cultures and I think it’s important that people know about that, especially young people.”

“The purpose of the week I think is to show and to demonstrate that as a community we’re welcoming people no matter what their background is,” Aoibhín added.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill, who spoke at the launch, praised the initiative but said that she had concerns about some of the debate around immigration.

“I think that we all should be concerned where we see any kind of hatred or blaming pockets of people or cohorts of people for problems that we perhaps have in our society,” she said.

“I think there’s more good in our society than there is bad.

“I think people want fairness, they want compassion when it comes to the issue of immigration.”

Irish Language Anti-Racism Week runs from 2 to 8 February.

Some of the events include GAA taster sessions for migrants, a basketball against racism tournament and a multi-cultural céilí.