The Irish Government has been urged by members of the Dáil to probe into the providing of an Irish passport to Tommy Robinson, notorious for allegedly inciting foreign unrest. Robinson, the infamous far-right leader originating from Luton, frequently travels using an Irish passport under his genuine identity, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. The passport is presumed to have been gained via his mother, an immigrant from Ireland to the UK.
Nevertheless, the passport’s legitimacy has been questioned following the release of an official form to Robinson by Canadian immigration in June indicating his birthplace as Ireland. Charlie Flanagan, chair of the committee on foreign affairs and defense of Fine Gael, accentuated the importance of the integrity of the Irish passport system. He insisted that any alleged breach of laws defining eligibility for Irish citizenship and justifiable grounds for holding an Irish passport should be strictly handled and formally examined by pertinent authorities.
Likewise, two other deputies conveyed their apprehensions. Labour’s Duncan Smith expressed his concern about any uncertainties regarding an individual’s passport’s integrity and emphasised the need to scrutinise such issues with utmost importance. Duncan Smith urges the UK Foreign Office and the Department of Foreign Affairs to collaborate concerning the precision of information in the said passport.
“If there is evidence of someone propagating far-right extremism using an Irish passport, we must employ all possible measures to halt this activity,” stated Mr Smith.
The fact that an individual reportedly fuelling racial violence across Ireland and Britain seems to be using an Irish passport is alarming, according to People Before Profit representative Paul Murphy. With even more concern is the apparent statement of Robinson’s birthplace as Ireland on Canadian documentation. If this information also appears on his passport, it could constitute fraud, potentially leading to its revocation.
Tommy Robinson’s reason for opting to use an Irish passport remains uncertain, although it might serve to bypass airport delays post-Brexit. Notably, he had supported Britain’s departure from the European Union. Robinson’s criminal record is extensive, featuring convictions for a variety of crimes including stalking, assaulting an off-duty officer, and drug possession. He was also imprisoned for 10 months in 2013 for using another person’s passport to enter the US.
Robinson was apprehended in Canada during June under suspicion of infringing immigration laws. After his detainment, Robinson shared a snapshot of his immigration authority form, declaring that he had been instructed to remain in Canada and surrender his passport.
He has been attempting to forge ties with the emerging Irish right-wing and made a visit to the country in February of the previous year. He announced to his social media followers that he was there to shed light on the anti-immigrant atmosphere.
While some members of the Irish right-wing accepted Robinson’s presence, others were not as keen to cooperate with their British counterparts like Robinson, who was affiliated with the British National party in the 2000s. – Guardian