COLLEGE OF POLYTECHNICS JIHLAVA Department Of Travel/Tourism

Transcription

1 COLLEGE OF POLYTECHNICS JIHLAVA Department Of Travel/Tourism Northern Ireland from the Point of View o f Foreigners Bachelor thesis Author: Agata Byrtusová Supervisor: Zdislava Kratochvílová Jihlava 2011

2 2010 Agata Byrtusová

3 Declaration This is to declare that I have worked on my bachelor thesis on my own and I have listed all sources used on the reference sheet attached in the back of my thesis. 10 th December 2010, Jihlava Agata Byrtusová

4 Acknowledgments First of all, I would like to show my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Mrs. Zdislava Kratochvílová, whose support and suggestions enabled me to complete the thesis. She expressed a deep interest in the topic which encouraged me to compile it to my utmost ability. I am also indebted to my cousin Dorota Lockyer, who provided advice and guidance to me with the formal aspects of writing which really helped me a lot. Lastly, I owe my appreciation to many of my friends and others who filled in my questionnaire and helped me to develop the ideas essential for completing the thesis.

5 Abstract BYRTUSOVA, Agata: Northern Ireland From The Point Of View Of Foreigners. Bachelor thesis. College of Polytechnics Jihlava. Department of Travel/Tourism. Supervisor Zdislava Kratochvílová. Degree: Bachelor. Jihlava pages. This bachelor thesis focuses on the social situation in Northern Ireland. It monitors changes in the recent history from the Northern Irish conflict to the new age of immigration and tourism. The aim of this study is to report the current situation in Northern Ireland in terms of the integration of newcomers into the country. It takes a closer look at foreigners living in the divided country where the current peace process seems to be still very fragile. It examines both, the influence of immigration on the local communities as well as foreigners integration with the locals. Key words: Community. Bachelor thesis. Northern Ireland. Immigration. Foreigners. Conflict. Abstrakt BYRTUSOVA, Agata: Severní Irsko z pohledu cizince. Bakalářská práce. Vysoká škola polytechnická Jihlava. Katedra cestovního ruchu. Vedoucí práce. Zdislava Kratochvílová. Stupeň odborné kvalifikace: bakalář. Jihlava stran. Tato bakalářská práce se zabývá sociální situaci v Severním Irsku. Sleduje změny v nedávné historii od Severoirského konfliktu po novou éru imigrace a turismu. Cíl této studie je podání zprávy o současné situaci in Severním Irsku ve smyslu začlenění se cizinců do života v této zemi. Zkoumá život cizinců v zemi se společensky rozdělenou společnosti kde se mírový proces pořád jeví jako velmi citlivá oblast. Zabývá se jak vlivem imigrace na místní komunity tak otázkou začlenění integrace cizinců. Klíčová slova: Bakalářská práce. Severní Irsko. Imigrace. Cizinci. Konflikt. Komunita.

6 Preface There are several reasons that were significant for me in choosing the topic. The main reason was my personal experience of living in Belfast in Northern Ireland for three years ( ) and then returning couple of times to visit and temporary summer employment (2010). During this time I had the opportunity to penetrate well into the society and to discover the country. It has been interesting to see how some things could change dynamically whereas others seemed to be same. The variety of jobs I had gone through and the different areas of Belfast I had lived in helped me to develop a good overview of the situation there. Furthermore I find Northern Ireland a very interesting and unique country in connection to its history. I believe that visiting or living in such a country may evoke a strong emotional experience. It is essential to inform the wide public of the developments in the area and look into new facts that Northern Ireland has to face nowadays. The theoretical part is build on previous research, studies and other papers published on its history, conflict, immigration and other changes in Northern Ireland. The practical part then consists of my personal knowledge and perception and my research in which I have collaborated with other foreigners living or staying in Northern Ireland. Their overview on the situation is in my opinion the most accurate. My study is dedicated not only to those who are considering going to Northern Ireland to live or visit but anyone who is interested in the country and its fate.

7 Table of contents List of illustrations... 1 Dictionary Introduction Facts and historical development Conflict in Northern Ireland Historical background of the conflict The Irish Famine Plantation of Ulster Partition of the island Divided society in Northern Ireland The Troubles Northern Ireland in the war Bloody Sunday Peace process - Belfast Agreement Society in Northern Ireland now Visible signs of the past? Foreigners opinions on the signs Changes From terrorism to tourism Immigration and a new era Numbers of immigrants to Northern Ireland My research Reasons for going abroad Why Northern Ireland? Standard of living in Northern Ireland Working in Northern Ireland Are migrant workers necessary or are taking jobs of locals? Divided society as a chance for migrants workers Northern Ireland is different Impact on living Is Northern Ireland dangerous place to live? Cohesion and integration Influence of immigration on the social situation Integration into the local communities Integration into the neighbourhoods Integration at work How to integrate? Appropriate language Clothing My hypothesis Conclusion Sources... 49

8 List of illustrations PICTURES Picture 1 Bonfire (Belfast -Shankill Rd. 2008)... 6 Picture 2 Mural of Harland and Wolf docks (Belfast)... 9 Picture 3 Island of Ireland after Picture 4 Bogside (Londonderry/Derry) Picture 5 A Protestant mural (Belfast, 2010) Picture 6 A Catholic mural (Belfast, New Lodge 2010) Picture 7 A Protestant mural - North Belfast (2010) Picture 8 A Peace line gate (West Belfast) Picture 9 A Peace line wall ( West Belfast) Picture 10 A Peace line wall Picture 11 An Orangemen parade (July/2002) Picture 12 The Police in Northern Ireland (2010) TABLES Table 1 The perception of signs by foreigners Table 2 Estimated Net InternationalMigration (2000 June 2008) Table 3 Reasons for choosing Northern Ireland Table 4 Evaluation of factors affecting living in NI GRAPHS Graph 1 International migration to and from Northern Ireland ( ) Graph 2 Returning to the country of origin Graph 3 Working full-time or part-time? Graph 4 Difficulty with finding a job Graph 5 Do you think the recent past of the troubles affects your living here? Graph 6 Changes in relations between communities Graph 7 Influence of immigration on the social situation Graph 8 Integration into the neighbourhoods Graph 9 Integration at work

9 Dictionary Catholic a member of a Catholic church, in Northern Ireland majority of Irish population declare this religion IRA Irish Republican Army, formed in Ireland, fighting for Irish independence Loyalists a person that supports government or a ruler, in case of Northern Ireland, standing for Britain, and wanting to stay part of UK Nationalists the same as republican, see republican NICRA the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association Orange Order the largest Protestant organisation in Northern Ireland, defending civil and religious liberties of Protestants and seeks to uphold the rule and ascendancy of a Protestant monarch in the United Kingdom Protestant a member of one of major division of Christianity, that separated from Catholicism, majority of the English, Scottish and non Irish residents declare this religion in Northern Ireland Republican a person that strongly disagree with Northern Ireland being ruled by Britain, calling for independence from UK and standing for reunion with Republic of Ireland Unionist may be often referred to Loyalist, a person that stands for strengthening the ties between Ireland and England (politically and culturally) UDA a protestant paramilitary organisation UVF a protestant paramilitary organisation 2

10 1 Introduction It was not that long ago when Northern Ireland was world-widely known for its troubles and terrorism. Despite being the smallest country of the United Kingdom it made the most of the publicity of all over the world. Since The Troubles broke out in the late 1960s which graduated from the Anglo-Irish conflict Northern Ireland has became probably the most heavily-researched country in the world, considering its size. Even though an official peace has taken over the country after the Belfast "Good Friday" Agreement of 1998 was signed, it may still sometimes seem to be living in a strong after-image. Because of its reputation, the country evolved isolated and had not been influenced by tourism or immigration. Nowadays, however, the situation has changed rapidly and many visitors and immigrants are entering the country. Is Northern Ireland ready for the new era and the wave of newcomers? Is the divided society able to accept them? What is the view of foreigners? This Bachelor thesis is to takes a closer look and examines the social situation in Northern Ireland. It is concentrates on immigration and foreigners integration in local society. It also reveals the views of foreigners on many issues such as work opportunities, standards of living in Northern Ireland and many others. 3

11 2 Facts and historical development Northern Ireland is one of the four parts of the United Kingdom situated in the northeast of the island of Ireland. The province of Northern Ireland consists of six counties, officially known as Ulster, which was created as a result of island partition in It was established after the majority of Ireland managed to become independent and break free from British domination after many lost attempts throughout its long history. In the 2001 census, the population of Northern Ireland was about 1,685,000.[1] And in 2007 it was estimated in an annual report of the Registrar General that there had been an increase in population by 1,759,000. Northern Ireland was also described as the fastest growing population of any country in the UK. [2] It is not only the increasing population that is dynamically changing. Northern Ireland and its capital city Belfast have been going through a transformation in general in recent years. Development in economy, tourism, culture and many other branches looks towards what is often described as a new era. 2.1 Conflict in Northern Ireland Northern Ireland has entered a new era of change and dynamic transformation. However, it is still marked with a long past of society conflict that is going along with this country throughout the history. The conflict is seen and understood differently by the different groups of society. When we go back to the roots of conflict we can say that it falls back to an ethnic and colonial problem described as a settler conflict by Thomas Mitchell in his book Native vs. Settler. Settler conflicts are conflicts with their origin in the conflict between a settler population, which was part of a colonization effort, and a native population, which was resisting the colonizing enterprise. [3] I would agree with describing the conflict like this, however, I consider this opinion a bit too outdated. Certainly there are many inhabitants in Northern Ireland posterities of 4

12 British settlers, but that was many generations and ages ago. Mitchell also compares the situation in Ireland from the seventeenth to twentieth century to be similar to the one in Palestine in the twentieth century or to Africa in the second half of the twentieth century. From a political point of view, there is the conflict in Northern Ireland between the Nationalists and Unionists. The Nationalists are the Irish who had been expelled from the Republic of Ireland and the nation. They were ignoring the country of Northern Ireland and clinging to their religion like a sign of cultural identity. The Unionists are the English who were convinced that keeping Northern Ireland in political union with Great Britain was the best. From a religious point of view we can speak about the conflict between the Catholics and the Protestants. The Catholics are mainly Irish and long for reunion with the Republic of Ireland. Furthermore, the Catholics are also resentful of when the English Protestants conquered Ireland and highly discriminated them.most Protestants see themselves as British and wish to stay part of Britain. In any case, they do not want a union with the Republic of Ireland as they fear the Catholic government would not tolerate their religion and beliefs. [4] To understand the problems in Northern Ireland we have to go well back in history. 2.2 Historical background of the conflict It has been a long process that developed hatred between inhabitants and later led to an extreme, almost warlike, situation in Northern Ireland. It does not apply to one particular incident but a chain of events that had taken place in the past on the island. The problems all started in the late 12 th century when Ireland was conquered by the Anglo-Norman army. The English then colonized the all island and managed to take power over it. Since then on it was England that ruled Ireland throughout history. The result to all this colonizing and reformation made enemies out of the Irish. Throughout history Ireland was trying to revolt to be an independent country but did not succeed. At the turn of the 15 th and 16 th centuries the Irish had numerical superiority and were very close to win power over the whole island, but then rulers of England again sent 5

13 more troops to preserve the territory. At that time England accepted Protestantism as a religion and intended to colonize with the aim of spreading the religion and nationality. This resulted with the first real rebellion of the Irish who fought for political autonomy and their religion - Catholicism. In the 17 th century again more than another English and especially Scottish soldiers and Protestants entered and confiscated Irish land. A big change and hope for the Irish came in 1689 when the first English Catholic king Jacob II arrived with the support of French king Louis XIV. Their troops, however, did not manage to win against the strong army of Jacob s rival William III of Orange. And after a fatal battle on the river Boyne on 12 th July 1690 they were never able to stand up again. The Irish then became strongly repressed, and discriminatory laws were formed by the all-protestant Parliament of Ireland to exclude Catholics from all offices, land ownership, schooling, and other branches leading toward wealth and education. (Frank, 2005, pgs ) This date is very important in the history of Northern Ireland and also well remembered and celebrated by the loyalists up to the present time. In honor of this win the Orangemen, who are the followers of Orange Order, named by William the Orange, organize many marching parades. During the celebrations they also build huge bonfires throughout all Northern Ireland and burn them on Bonfire night on 12 th July. As Picture 1 Bonfire (Belfast -Shankill Rd. 2008) attached to them expressing the win over the Irish. you can see in picture 1, Irish flags or other national symbols are often 6

14 2.3 The Irish Famine The Great Irish Famine was an event in history that was unforgettably engraved in memories, especially of the Irish. It occurred during the first half of the nineteenth century and had a disastrous impact on the Irish Society. Most of the Irish potato crop was infected by blight, which resulted in mass starvation, epidemic disease and many deaths. About a million people have said to have been reported to have died of hunger between 1846 and 1851, and some two million emigrated in this period. [5] At that time the whole of Ireland was ruled by Britain, a country that was considered one of the richest nations in the world. However, Britain did very little to prevent the extreme effects on the situation that later developed. There were reports from Ireland about the crisis and food shortage, but the British government did not pay much attention and took no action. There were other food supplies in Ireland like wheat, dairy products, and meat but the Irish peasants had no money to buy it with. Therefore the food was then exported. Eventually there was a relief scheme made up by the British Government, which involved building canals and road systems in order to give the people employment and therefore justify the receiving of cash payment. It hardly brought about any benefits, as many men died before even receiving the salary. In the census from 1841 there was recorded an Irish population of 8.2 million. By 1851 this number had been reduced to 6.5 million. It is known that many people emigrated from Ireland to survive but there are not many statistics about their fate. [6] 2.4 Plantation of Ulster Ulster, which is the territory of Northern Ireland nowadays, was the most problematic area already in the past. The colonization of Ulster that started in 1609 was very unique among the rest of the island, mainly because of the location closest to the main land. England offered and attracted many new colonists from all over England with the 7

15 intention of bringing their society to the island. The colonists made a new home of Ulster and had no respect for the original inhabitants the Irish. The Irish then owned less than 5 per cent of the land by [7] The Planters built new towns and excluded the Irish to live in the countryside. There was very strong tension and hatred among them as they were a foreign community that had different language, a way of living and their religion was Protestant. The law was different for each individual community and the Catholics had to pay fines for not attending the English masses. This is considered to be the beginning of the living in divided communities and the outline of the conflict in Northern Ireland even nowadays. The new settlers had a right to worry about a rebellion from the Irish and tried to avoid contact with them. Indeed, the expected rebellion started and more than Protestants were killed during At the turn of the 17 th and 18 th century England adopted a new criminal law for all inhabitants of Ulster, however with some exceptions for the Ulster Presbyterians. They were allowed to carry a weapon, got contributions and could freely dispose of their properties, unlike the Irish Catholics. As a result of the English support, Ulster was going through industrial and economical expansion and became one of the most prestigious assets of the British export of canvas. The Catholics intended to penetrate the industry as well but that resulted in further conflicts as the Protestants were afraid of losing their jobs. After one another battle in 1795 they founded organization Orange Order to protect what William III the Orange won. This order had many protagonists among the nobility and army whose mission was to develop and protect the British Protestant heritage in Ireland against any enemies. The impact of the rules on the Irish was enormous. They didn t have the right to buy a land, to vote, to join the army or to get higher education. This resulted in an emigration of about of them. 8

16 In the 19 th century Ulster was on the peak of the industrial and economical revolution. Belfast not only became the best known exporting town of canvas, but it became famous for its shipyard Harland and Wolf where the Titanic was built in Picture 2 Mural of Harland and Wolf docks (Belfast) Belfast was considered to be a British town because of the export and connection with Britain, which was then very significant for the future. Troubles among the workers came to occur on a daily basis, splitting the society into two separated groups where the Irish were highly discriminated against when considering employment. As a result, Belfast became a divided city where many segregated working-class neighborhoods originated. Most famous especially for their close location and later often conflicts were the Protestants Shankill Road and the Catholics Falls Road. (Frank, 2005, pgs ) The tension between the two nationalities and the effort of Irish fighting for independence eventually resulted in dividing the island in

17 2.5 Partition of the island During the nineteenth century there was a success in an attempt to overthrow the union in Ireland. There were some parliamentary movements such as the Repeal movement in the 1840s and the Home Rule movement from the 1870s. Others however, like the Irish Republican Brotherhood were prepared to use even a physical force to fight the union. The Home Rule act had almost repealed the union and gave hope for Irish success but the outbreak of the First World War intervened. In 1916, an armed uprising was attempted in Dublin, known as the Easter rising. Although the uprising was unsuccessful and its leaders were executed, it resulted in a wave of sympathy for the IRA and for Sinn Féin, its political wing. Sinn Féin then was fully supported at elections in 1918 in Southern Ireland and replaced the original Irish Parliamentary Party establishing a new Irish parliament. This started the War of Independence between the IRA and United Kingdom which finally ended by a treaty and the Government of Ireland Act in 1921 that established the Irish Free Republic. [8] The Unionists, who were advocating and strengthening the ties between Ireland and England, then tried after the Irish uprising to concentrate at least on Northern Ireland with the intent to create an area preserved within the United Kingdom. And even though the IRA was fighting for getting the British Protestants out of the strong Catholic Ireland, it did not manage to unite the whole island. The Irish goal finally succeeded but only managed to secure and enclose 26 out of 32 counties that gained independence and formed an independent country. The remaining 6 counties (Fermanagh, Tyrone, Antrim, Armagh, Down and Londonderry/Derry) would remain part of the United Kingdom.Each unit on the island was now ruled by a different parliament, the South was ruled from Dublin and the North from London. Picture 3 Island of Ireland after

18 The partition of Ireland led to civil conflict in the South between those who agreed with the compromise of splitting and having only 26 counties and those who strongly disagreed and wanted independence for the island as a whole. Eventually the Irish Free State was formally established with the consent of Dublin and Westminster in In Ulster (area of Northern Ireland), the majority of Unionists beat Sinn Féin in the elections in 1918 and created a new administrative area in Northern Ireland through demographic compromise. Northern Ireland was basically the only area where the majority was in favour of the union with Britain. At that time about 33% of the population was Catholic. A new government was established in Belfast with authority over policing, education, local government and social services, however, it was subordinated to London, which retained ultimate authority. MPs from Northern Ireland were sent to Westminster. The first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Sir James Craig, described the state as having a Protestant Parliament for a Protestant people. The state effectively discriminated against Catholics in housing, jobs, and political representation. Membership of the Orange Order, a wholly Protestant society, which was often essential for progress in politics and business, was forbidden to Catholics. Most local councils were dominated by unionists. Many unionists believe that such discrimination arose because many Catholics did not want to co-operate with the new state, and because unionists felt that the very existence of their state was threatened by what they saw as a subversive minority. [9] Officially the partition of Ireland was confirmed in December 1922 when the newly formed Parliament of Northern Ireland affirmed in the Anglo-Irish Treaty that the Irish Free State would become a British Commonwealth. In 1949 it then proclaimed itself as completely independent, left the Commonwealth and renamed itself the Republic of Ireland. [10] For some Irish republicans, and especially the IRA, the new establishments and partition meant a challenge often seen as an unfinished business and were prepared to secure the independent Ireland as a whole by force if necessary. 11

19 2.6 Divided society in Northern Ireland Since the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century many aspects of life in the region have been segregated on the basis of religious denomination. Each period of conflict has increased the level of segregation and the most recent 'Troubles' has seen, for example, residential segregation increased to new levels. In addition to where people choose - or are forced - to live, segregation is also experienced in education, business, commerce, sport, leisure activities, etc. Many people in Northern Ireland conduct their entire lives within their own community with little opportunity - or no desire to meet members of the opposite tradition. [11] Since Northern Ireland became an individual state, the surrounding and more importantly its inhabitants, had to take it as a reality. The distance between the Catholics and Protestants was and still is regarding all history facts very evident. People in Northern Ireland live in a divided society. Cities are divided by walls, areas are marked by flags, and murals show propaganda. The two separated communities of the Protestants and the Catholics do not share anything together. Within their respective areas they have their own shopping centres, leisure centres and other institutes. That means that they may live their lives completely separated from the others. Practically all children are educated in segregated schools. Nowadays, the older generation seem to still live in the hopes of reuniting with Ireland or hopes to stay a part of the United Kingdom, whereas the younger just perceived it as problems of the society in Northern Ireland more in general. Political arrangement and movement of Protestant Unionists did not give the chance to Catholics to integrate. They were not completely eliminated, but in terms of their political involvement strongly disadvantaged. It is natural that such conditions in connection with the separation had to cause significant distrust and prejudice in these two different communities. Regarding the demographic details, research in Northern Ireland from 1960s showed the expected results that the majority of Catholics did not consider themselves British, and the majority of Protestants, with small exceptions, did not consider themselves Irish. It also showed that the Protestant identity was more problematic because they were able to proclaim who they are not but on the other hand they were not able to indicate one 12

20 identity. 39% of Protestants and 15% Catholics considered themselves as a British national and 32% of Protestants and 5% of Catholics then considered themselves as an Ulster. (Frank, 2005, pgs ) Church and religion play an important role in the society segregation as well. Northern Irish society is classified as highly religious as they attend masses very regularly. 2.7 The Troubles Splitting the island into two parts did not solve the problems. For Northern Ireland it meant further rebellions which led to a warlike situation. The most critical period of violence and riots is officially called and known as The Troubles. It has not been exactly specified when was the beginning of this period but it is considered from the late 1960s up to 1998 when the Belfast Good Friday Agreement was signed. At the time when The Troubles broke out there had been a majority of Protestants living in Northern Ireland. In the 1980s it was estimated that 70% of the population was Protestant and 30% was Catholic, however, this percentage may vary in different sources. Some estimate that the number of Protestants was not so vast, maybe about 60%. It was difficult to indicate the numbers clearly because many inhabitants are reluctant to reveal their religion. [12] The demographic composition did not appeal to the new established Northern Irish government ruled from Britain. The Catholics were still discriminated against in politics, jobs, education and also the police system. It was only a question of time until the Catholics would stand up for themselves. In 1954, when the rate of unemployment increased a lot, the British Labour Party was predicting a political crisis. The unemployment rate reached 20%-30% which resulted in the development of civil rights movements in all of Northern Ireland. This situation, including separation and discrimination, evolved the focus on civil rights campaigns in the late 1960s. [13] 13

21 A new organization, called the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) was established in 1967 to protect the civil rights of the Roman Catholic minority. [14] All these campaigns, strongly supported by Catholics, were meant to be non-violent movements in order to get basic human rights for equal job opportunities, housing allocation and voting rights. The organization demanded the same rights and equality for the Catholics as for Protestants. The Protestant country perceived them as a threat to the existence of the state and accepted them very negatively and suspiciously Northern Ireland in the war The riots began in Londonderry/Derry, which is the second largest city of Northern Ireland and is situated in the north, right beside the border with the Republic of Ireland. The city has two official names that are both in use and depend on the preference of the speaker. However a majority of 60% were Catholics, the city was politically dominated by Unionists who highly discriminated them. [15; pg.4] Growing violence and riots caused visible activity of paramilitary organisations in local communities. These were organisations that presented an illegal force with a political purpose similar to the formal ones. The new Provisional IRA, a paramilitary armed wing of political party Sinn Féin, was formed to protect the rights of the Irish Catholics. And as a reaction to this there had been new protestant paramilitary forces formed such as UDA and UVF. The increase in sectarian attacks between the paramilitary groups and violence then resulted in sending troops into the streets of Northern Ireland by British Government to enforce order. [16] At first the British Army was welcomed by the Irish population with hope for safety. However, shortly after, it caused further stimulus to the republican movements as it showed no respect and no intent to protect the Catholics. Therefore the provisional IRA soon started its campaign against the British Army and directed many attacks on the soldiers. 14

22 The Catholics in Londonderry/ Derry lived in separated communities and tried to seclude from the rest of the city. A selfdeclared autonomous area was formed by the Irish nationalists called Free Derry including the area of the Bogside and Creggan neighbourhoods. Picture 4 Bogside (Londonderry/Derry) These sought to barricade themselves physically from the outside. Well patrolled and protected by Provisional IRA, this area soon became No-go area for the British forces. This was established after a three day unsuccessful fight called the Battle of Bogside between the residents and police. There were about two-thirds inhabitants residing either the Bogside or the Creggan. Riots got a larger dimension after one Irish republicans Easter parade in 1970 clashed with British soldiers. That resulted in even stronger IRA mobilization against these forces. So instead of clashes between Catholics and Protestants common from , there was a war between the IRA and the British Army often with support by the loyalist paramilitaries. [17] Simultaneously, riots broke out in Belfast and all over Northern Ireland as well. Unlike Londonderry/Derry, where ghettos were formed on the outside skirts of the city and had been bigger and more secluded from the rest of the city, in Belfast smaller enclaves were formed within the city. That meant that the two separated communities were living sometimes very close to each other in neighbourhoods. This caused troubles and open attacks, therefore, protective barriers called Peace lines were built to divide these communities. At places the walls reached up to about 8-10 meters and often had barbed wire on the top. These are still there in Belfast and other cities in Northern Ireland as an ugly reminder of the duration and intensity of the conflict. The local Northern Irish Government tried to handle the situation of growing violence but it was clear by 1972 that the situation is out of control. After the last attempt of imposing the power introducing unsuccessful rule - internment, which gave police the 15

23 right to arrest people without a trial, the was local Government was suspended and replaced by direct rule from Westminster. [18] Bloody Sunday The event that badly marked the period of violence in Northern Ireland happened on 30 th January, 1972 in Londonderry/Derry. It all happened at a demonstration organized by NICRA against internment. The British army fired on 30 unarmed Irish Catholics who participated in the demonstration for civil rights. Thirteen from which seven teenagers and one women had died after the attack. The already fractured Northern Ireland would never be the same after Bloody Sunday, the name given to that fateful day, as tension escalated remarkably. Indeed year 1972 proved to be the deadliest year of violence in Northern Ireland called The Troubles, as Catholics, Protestants, British soldiers and British officials became ensnared in a cycle of seemingly ever-increasing violence [19; pg.2] The year 1972 reached the peak in number of casualties when 468 people died, half of which were civilians. The Provisional IRA organised about bombing attacks on mainly some private businesses and other commercial targets. It managed to kill about 100 soldiers and injure 500 others. During one particular campaign, called named Bloody Friday, 22 bombs were set off in the city centre of Belfast, leaving 7 civilians and 2 soldiers dead. [20; pg119] Each attack from the Provisional IRA was responded by an attack of protestants paramilitaries UDA or UVF that increased violence and sectarianism by cruel murders and torture of randomly caught nationalists. These killings, bombings and attacks on properties went on endlessly for 25 years of endemic violence, deepening the distance between Catholics and Protestants and for many caused unforgettable experiences and personal tragedies. It was estimated in 1983 that more than 2,300 people had been killed in the violence since Those deaths, in an area with a population of about 1.5 million, were equivalent proportionately to the killing of about 84,000 in Britain, 83,000 in France, or 350,000 in the United States. More than 24,000 had been injured or maimed. From 16

24 1969 to 1983 there had been more than 43,000 recorded incidents of shootings, bombings and arson. The prisoner s population in the North rose from 686 in 1967 to about 2,500 in 1983, proportionately the highest number of prisoners in Western Europe.. (Keogh and Haltzel, 1994, pgs.7-8) And the casualties had been rising. In total had been killed in the period from The Highest numbers of casualties were civilians and members of security forces. The rest of them were members of paramilitary organisations republicans as well as loyalists. [21] Compared to the size of the country and number of population we can assume that many people were directly or at least not directly affected by these deaths, and in my opinion that is the biggest problem at present. This history has been very recent; therefore the communities feel grudges against each other for these losses and violence. 2.8 Peace process - Belfast Agreement The British government tried several times during the Troubles to achieve a political convention but did not succeed. In the 1970s there were attempts to power sharing government to be reopened again consisted of unionists and republicans but it was doubly rejected. The IRA had higher requirements from the British government and seemed to be not heard even after increase of the bombing attacks. Therefore it decided to transfer its terror to England as well with the hopes for gaining its demands. Eventually in April 1998 an agreement was signed in Belfast called the Belfast Agreement or Good Friday Agreement. It was the main political act composed to open a new future for Northern Ireland focused on peace in the area. The agreement was signed between the government of the United Kingdom and government of Ireland in order to reopen a power-sharing parliament. It had to be approved through a referendum by the inhabitants of Northern Ireland. The agreement had five constitutional provisions: First, Northern Ireland s future constitutional status was to be in the hands of its citizens. Second, if the people of Ireland, north and south, wanted a united Ireland, they could have one by voting for it. Third, Northern Ireland s current constitutional position would remain within the United Kingdom. 17

25 Fourth, Northern Ireland s citizens would have the right to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British, or both. Fifth, the Irish state would drop its territorial claim on Northern Ireland and instead define the Irish nation in terms of people rather than land. The consent principle would be built into the Irish constitution. [22] There is official peace in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement was signed in Belfast in However in the same year there was the deadliest bomb attack by the IRA in a small town called Omagh, which killed 28 people and injured or maimed 220 others. The attack was described as one of the worst since violence began in Northern Ireland 30 years ago. This was a clear protest from those who did not want to accept the peace process. [23] Since then on there have been no larger attacks, and the peace process went into practise but in many occasion seems very fragile from time to time - even nowadays. The history of such a recent atrocity is still remembered by majority of inhabitants as they are the ones who lost their family members, friends, neighbours, etc. 2.9 Society in Northern Ireland now If we looked at the society from the demographic point of view at present we can notice an increase of Catholics. There is about 45% Catholics and 55% Protestants regarding the census from 2001 published at the NISRA website. Considering the relations between them the changes seems to be a very slow process since the period of The Troubles finished. It has been proved by research in 2006 that very little interactions and integration takes place between the two communities. That means that each of the main two communities live largely secluded lives from the others. In the results we learn that peoples daily routines are set up to avoid the others. Housing executive figures that about 98 percent of residential segregation in Belfast which is automatically considered as a norm for Northern Ireland. However if we look at the composition of residents outside of Belfast it is more mixed. There are not many details on their integrations and living in such area though. 18

26 Some 75% of respondents mentioned they wouldn t use their closest health centre and other facilities, as it was located somewhere what they called a wrong area. More than half of them would travel at least twice as far as they have to, just to get to a neutral area or an area dominated by the community they belong to. Regarding jobs opportunities, only 1 out of 8 worked in a company or an area dominated by people from the other side. [24; pgs ] In my opinion, a significant role in society division plays especially in the separated education system in Northern Ireland. Approximately 95 percent of children in Northern Ireland are still attending religiously segregated schools with very little interaction between them. This is being point out as one of the most important things urgently calling for a change. (Frank,2005,pg.54) Here I would like to mention how one of my work colleagues who lived all her life on Falls Road a highly separated Catholic area described meeting with the others for a first time. I was about 12 years old when our school took a part in sport competition day among schools from different areas. I perceived it as something that was very extraordinary and I was full of expectations. When we arrived at first we were standing within our school teams with measuring looks at the others. I found it a bit awkward at the beginning but after we started to play the games I found to my surprise that them were just ordinary kids no different to us Visible signs of the past? In this chapter I will concentrate on Belfast as the capital of Northern Ireland. It had absorbed the most of the happenings in the past and at the present. Belfast has developed into a cosmopolitan city, and when moving around the city centre nowadays one wouldn t say that there is something different and extraordinary about the city. The history that it hides is at first sight unnoticeable. However, moving just out from the city centre in any direction many signs of the Troubles can still be seen. That s when you realize Belfast is not just an ordinary city. 19

27 As in the past, Belfast is still very much a divided city where each individual area is well marked. You clearly know what area you are in. There are still very few areas that are mixed, as the majority of areas are predominantly Protestant or Catholic. An every such area is well distinguished by symbols, flags and community murals, expressing the community beliefs that are either nationalist or unionist. Protestant areas are indicated by English flags and red, blue and white painted lamp posts, bins, boundary stones and other stuff, whereas the Catholic areas are marked with Irish flags. Picture 5 A Protestant mural (Belfast, 2010) In Catholic areas you can find the Irish flags and murals, that are often connected with history events such as famines, bloody Sunday and other. There are some murals with paramilitary propaganda to be found as well. Picture 6 A Catholic mural (Belfast, New Lodge 2010) 20

28 In the another example of the loyalists mural, in picture 6 below, we can clearly see that people are ready to accept the peace, however, they are still very alert and are not afraid to stand up to fight again. In my opinion this is very accurate because, unfortunately, these are still the views of many people. Picture 7 A Protestant mural - North Belfast (2010) Other obvious things are the so-called Peace lines which I have already mentioned in chapter Northern Ireland in war. They were first erected in the early 1970s at the times of The Troubles to divide and protect communities. In summary there are about 47 barriers in the whole of Northern Ireland of which 36 barriers is in Belfast.[25] These walls can reach up 10 m high where lower often topped with barbed wire. There are gates within the wall that are closing at nights at 9 pm (during the weekends usually about 5 pm) and sometimes they may just stay closed in case of events when troubles are likely to occur. When the gates are closed you have to travel for a long time and drive through the city centre in order to get to the other side. Picture 8 A Peace line gate (West Belfast) Picture 9 A Peace line wall ( West Belfast) 21

29 Picture 10 A Peace line wall If you are in Northern Ireland during the summer you may see much of the communities activities within the cities. Summer time in Belfast is also called the Marching season. That is because many local communities parades take place. The majority of parades in Northern Ireland are Loyalist, which means Protestant, but there are Republican parades to be seen as well. Parades express power over a territory and symbolize history events e.g. Battle on Boyne on 12 th July where the English defeated the Irish. Regarding the annual report of Parades Commission there were 3,801 parades held in total in Northern Ireland in There were 65% Loyalists/Unionists compared to just 3% of Nationalists. The rest of the parades were Civic/Community/Festivals (8%), Military (4%), Church/Girls guides/boys brigades (6%), Motor Vehicle /Charities /Fun Runs/Sports (11%). [26] Marching season is often called trouble season as some of the parades may incite riots. All parades and their routes have to be approved by the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland in advance. Picture 11 An Orangemen parade (July/2002) 22

30 Some of the requests are rejected or their route has to be changed because it is considered as too provocative. Rejection or re-routing of a parade my cause huge protests and riots which I have witnessed myself during the summer of The violence started after a Protestant Orange Order parade was meant to be re-routed away from a nationalist area of west Belfast. At one point a crowd of 700 in east Belfast hurled petrol bombs and opened fire on the security forces (police and army). Cars and busses were hijacked and burned across the city to barricade roads in the worst rioting for years which left 50 police officers injured. [27] The riots at that time spread all over the city of Belfast and other close towns very quickly which I considered to be shocking and showed how easy it is for riots to reoccur. Other considerably different things compared to other countries are the police services and their equipment. Since the army left Northern Ireland after 38 years in 2007 there is only police and about 5,000 soldiers that stayed in charge of security forces in the country.[28] However, they have to be prepared to cope with any kind of disorder and riots. Police cars are similar to armored vehicles, there were many in green army color, which later changed for painted white ones. A policeman is often armed with a submachine gun, a bulletproof vest, a helmet and other equipment. Each police station is watched, and is well protected with a high wall surrounding it. Picture 12 The Police in Northern Ireland (2010) 23

31 When going to a bar or a pub it may happen that you have to buzz in and wait until they let you in. In my experience I had to sign in but this is very rare. The common practise, however, is that people are not allowed in with hats or hoods on Foreigners opinions on the signs All these signs throughout all Northern Ireland with the biggest presence in the cities may evoke a strong impact on feelings of new comers to the country. This is something that is unusual and can cause a disturbing impression. It can strongly influence your emotions. For some it may arouse curiosity in the situation and the history, but for others it evokes fear. Therefore I have asked the foreigners about their feelings towards the atmosphere and perceiving of signs in Belfast and Northern Ireland. The foreigners interviewed were asked to evaluate individual signs and practices and express how disturbing these were for them. From the table 1 below, we can learn that they marked burning bonfires with national symbols as the most disturbing thing. (picture 1) The second most disturbing thing was the walls dividing cities and closing gates. On the same disturbance level appeared heavily armed police, flags and national symbols in areas and Loyalists or Nationalists parades. They found murals to be a bit less disturbing and St. Patrick s day celebrations were marked as fine. OPINIONS ON INDIVIDUAL SIGNS VERY DISTURBING Bonfires and burning flags on them Walls dividing cities, gates closing Heavily armed police FINE Flags and national symbols in areas Loyalists or Nationalists parades Murals St. Patricks celebrations Table 1 The perception of signs by foreigners 24

32 2.11 Changes Northern Ireland has changed a lot recently. It is obvious at a first sight. There are plenty of visitors, immigrants and visible investments to the country. Since the end of sectarian violence and power-shared parliament the country seems to blossom. So what has changed? People are finally looking into to future instead of messing with the past. The region is promoted as a top tourist destination and a place to invest. When moving around Belfast now you can see that some of sectarian and paramilitary murals have been replaced by murals focused more on history events, not showing aggression and political beliefs. The initiative is being funded through the Arts Council, on behalf of the Shared Communities Consortium, which is helping to transform local communities across Northern Ireland by tackling the visible signs of sectarianism and racism and creating a more welcoming environment. [29] I think that it is important so that the kids grow up in friendlier environments, as it has incredible impact on them. Shared education is another point that Northern Ireland would like to achieve. A special Northern Irish Council for Integrated Education has been established that works towards a better future. The main principle of Integrated Education is the belief that by educating and bringing Catholics, Protestants and children of other faiths together in a shared learning environment, they can learn to understand, respect and accept each other.[30] The council also describes this as one of the most significant social developments in Northern Ireland in the last 29 years. Nowadays there have been integrated 18 secondary and about 40 primary schools within all of Northern Ireland. Which is still not too many but surely it means a big change. Further integration action between the communities is planned by taking the peace lines walls down. A prepared proposal by Tony Macaulay for Removing the Interface Barriers in 2008 was published on the CAIN website. Survey showed strong agreement that the walls serve to help residents feel safer by keeping the communities separated. 25

33 Although when asked if the residents were in favour for the barriers to go down 81% said they would. But then when asked about the right moment, 60% of respondents said to put them down, when it is safe, and not at present. Only 21% said now, and the rest of 17% said that they didn t mind if the walls never come down. [31] This obviously says that people would be willing to move forward with integration towards a shared future but still feel very insecure in relations. A change is also seen with police cars, more and more often the police use normal cars instead of armored vehicles. From some police stations also disappeared the watching towers at the walls where policemen patrolled the station. However, policemen can still often be a target for extremists groups or individuals who seem to be still living in the past. In 2009 there was a policeman shot dead, which happened just 2 days after two soldiers were murdered by the Real IRA. This was the first murder of a police officer since [32] Further attacks occurred in August In three days in a row there had been bombs set up outside of a police station and under a soldier s car. Luckily no one was killed in these attacks. And the very last bomb attack carried out by the IRA was in October 2010 in Londonderry/Derry. A vehicle loaded with explosives went off at about midnight in front of Ulster bank. The area was cleared after a warning and no one was injured. However, it caused extensive damage. [33] The government, local authorities and society are very averse to these attacks as they only try to wreck the long way that Northern Ireland passed towards peace. Also they believe that such groups or individuals have no chance to destroy the relatively peaceful situation and make Northern Ireland go backwards again. As we see, Northern Ireland is balancing somewhere between the past and the future. Many things changed and many stayed the same. You may forget all about the past when suddenly there are some things that take you right back. That may involve fully alert and ready policemen with sub-machine guns, the gate closing for nights at the Peace lines and helicopters above your head. These are still to be seen over Belfast mainly during the summer the Marching season. Not only does Northern Ireland have to concentrate on the prime problems, it has to now deal with the wave of increasing immigration and tourism. It is definitely one of 26

34 the biggest issues in Northern Ireland at present. During the last four years many international shops and markets have opened. There are at present one Czech, one Slovak, about ten Polish shops and other specific shops selling foreign food and other goods. In Tesco stores there has been a Polish section opened From terrorism to tourism The most noticeable change in Northern Ireland is the development of tourism. On a daily basis you can see tourists on bus tours around Belfast, agents selling one-day trips around all of Northern Ireland and many information centres dedicated to tourists. Belfast became a tourist place which was unthinkable in the past because of the Trouble and the media coverage. In 2007 Belfast was listed in the Lonely Planet tourist guide as a top 10 must-see destination. Northern Ireland and Belfast are trying at present to sell the past as a tourist attraction. There are special bus tours and black taxi tours with local guides that take tourists through the most troubled areas in the past to show them the murals, dividing walls and life now. The tour is called a terror trail and is framed to introduce and explain the history to the tourist. Furthermore to the past being promoted, I ve seen some souvenirs with slogans that surprised me such as the Titanic Built by the Irish, sunk by the English. This may be a bit offensive to the community. Another most popular place to visit in Northern Ireland seems to be the Giants Causeway, signed on the list of World Heritage site UNESCO as a natural reserve. It is an area with specially formed rocks created by lava eruption located on the north coast. 27

35 2.13 Immigration and a new era At this part of my thesis I will focus more on the practical part and my findings. There has been an increase in immigration in Northern Ireland since the Troubles finished and since it has not been published in newspapers only for it s violence and riots. It is hard to not notice that the nature of Northern Irish society has completely changed. Integration with the new cultures and diversity brings a not easy challenge. I would here like to report what it is for a foreigner to come to such a country, and what he is likely to encounter. Even though each experience might vary from person to person it is good to have some reports. As you could learn from the previous chapter, it is very disputable if Northern Ireland is really over the past. What we know now is that Northern Ireland is progressing with an incredible speed towards the future. Noticeable developments also promise that Northern Ireland is actually on the best course to a better future. Let s see what impact immigration and mixing with other cultures may have on the stilldivided society and how easy it is to penetrate into such society Numbers of immigrants to Northern Ireland To illustrate the inflow of foreigners into the country I have used one graph (Graph 1) and a table with numbers (Table 2). In the graph we can see that the migration was in the negative numbers up to the year That means more people were leaving the country than coming into the country. This was in my opinion influenced by The Troubles and difficult conditions. We can see a slight increase after 1998, when the Belfast Agreement was signed. The break point and the biggest wave of immigration is noticeable from 2004, which was mainly caused by extending the EU to countries from Eastern Europe. In May 2004, ten countries joined the European Union - Cyprus, Czech 28

36 Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The number of immigrants almost doubled compared to the year 2003.[34] On the other hand we can see a trend in outflow migration as well. In general it seems like all of Europe has entered a new age of migration, something that we may actually notice in our own country. Graph 1 International migration to and from Northern Ireland ( ) The table below shows just estimated numbers of migration but I decided to use the table anyway as the last census that takes place every 10 years was last done in Therefore the numbers provide us more actual numbers. Time-period Estimated International Inflows Estimated International Outflows Estimated Net International Migration Jul Jun Jul Jun Jul Jun Jul Jun Jul Jun Jul Jun Jul Jun Jul Jun Total Table 2 Estimated Net InternationalMigration (2000 June 2008) 29

37 3 My research To analyze the situation in Northern Ireland, I carried out a survey in which I asked immigrants about living in Northern Ireland. I asked 90 persons from abroad, who now live in Northern Ireland. I did not distinguish their age, gender or country of origin, as it was not significant for my survey. Therefore I could say my sample of respondents is random. The important sign for all was that they had all decided to go abroad for a longer stay and chose Northern Ireland as their destination. Regarding the answers only 22% of my respondents turned to be at the moment shortterm immigrants. Short-term immigrant is a person who moves to a country other than that of his or her usual residence for a period of at least 3 months but less than a year (12 months) except in cases where the movement to that country is for purposes of recreation, holiday, visits to friends and relatives, business, medical treatment or religious pilgrimage. [35] And a vast majority of 78% respondents turned to be at the moment long-term immigrants. A long term immigrant is a person who moves to a country other than that of his or her usual residence for a period of at least a year (12 months), so that the country of destination effectively becomes his or her new country of usual residence. [36] From the long-term immigrants they have been living in Northern Ireland for: 1-3 years 31% 4-6 years 31% more than 6 years 16% My respondents turned out to be 29% from Poland, 28% from the Czech Republic, 7% from Spain, 4% from Romania, France and Italy, 3% from Germany and Turkey, 2% from Bulgaria, Holland, Hungary, Greece, and then just 1% Latvia, America, Argentina, Russia, Portugal, Columbia and Slovakia. 30

38 3.1 Reasons for going abroad Nearly half of my respondents (49%) said that the main reason for going abroad was because of a job. Most of these (24%) came straight after they finished their studies in order to get some experience, as it is considered to be valuable when they return home for their future career, 14 % could not find any job in their country, and 11% wished to change their jobs. Another 24% of respondents decided to go abroad to learn English and study. And 27% percent said that they had some other main reasons to go abroad. These reasons varied, such as to unite with a family member or friend, or they wanted to travel and work at the same time, or just wanted a change in their lives. When asked if they ever planned to return to their country to live, the respondents answered: Graph 2 Returning to the country of origin In the graph 2 we can see that only 21% of respondents settled down in Northern Ireland for good. For others this is just a place where they came to earn some money, gain experience from a different country and learn English or to study. Once they satisfy this aim they return home. However, from my own experience I can say that even if you do plan to go back to your country this intention may be often postponed. When you get a job and start to earn money it is hard to leave it to start from scratch even in your own country. 31

39 My research also shows that there has been a trend nowadays that many young people decide to go abroad after their studies instead of settling down and getting a job straight away. Such experience is very valuable nowadays, especially if we consider language skills. Many companies are international or cooperate with other companies from abroad, therefore, it is more than essential to know languages. 3.2 Why Northern Ireland? The answers showed in the table 3 indicate that the majority of people chose Northern Ireland because some of their relatives, friends or a partner had lived there already. This is a natural process of union and also a quite secure way of immigration. It is good to have some hinterland and help from the beginning. ANSWERS NUMBER To join relatives, partners, friends 42 There was a job offer 24 Interesting history, exciting place 11 Cheaper than rest of UK and Ireland 9 Less foreigners lived there 2 Scholarship, university 2 Table 3 Reasons for choosing Northern Ireland Furthermore, we can also conclude that Northern Ireland has become after the troubled time a very prospective workplace. Investors started to put their assets into the region which resulted in development of many companies and arising of new job posts to be filled. Northern Ireland s past as we can see could be viewed as an advantage because it caused the place to be cheaper to live in and to some people it became attractive. I can confirm that Northern Ireland is cheaper to live compared to Ireland or Britain. However, the cost of some goods went up, while some haven t changed or went up just slightly. For example, rent stayed on a similar level for about 5 years now. But this may vary in connection with the locality and part of the city. 32

40 3.3 Standard of living in Northern Ireland In the table below we can see how respondents evaluated the following in Northern Ireland. Respondents rated wages to be the best part of living in Northern Ireland. 43% of respondents claimed that the wages were better in Northern Ireland than in their country of origin. Another 39% said that they were even much better. Respondents found the weather to be the worst part of living in Northern Ireland; 43% said that the weather was worse and 48% much worse THE BEST THE WORST E V A L U A T I O N WAGES STANDARD OF LIVING PEOPLE FRIEDLINESS COSTS OF LIVING PUBLIC SERVICES TOURIST ATTRACTIVNESS HEALTHCARE WEATHER Table 4 Evaluation of factors affecting living in NI Furthermore, regarding the standard of living, I asked my respondents if they worked part-time/full-time and if they get by with what they earn. I have found out that 81% of the respondents worked full-time, 11% worked part-time and 8% worked only casually. (see graph 3) Graph 3 Working full-time or part-time? 33

41 Regarding their earnings I have found out that : 8% said that they have hardly enough money to live on 30% said that they easily get by with the money they earn 56% said that they easily get by with the money they earn and in addition they are able to save some money as well 6% other From the information above we can assume that the majority doesn t have to limit themselves regarding costs of living. Even some people who work just part-time mentioned no problems with money. This indicates a quite high standard of living and welfare. 3.4 Working in Northern Ireland As I ve mentioned in previous sections, the majority of incomers to the country are migrant workers. The number of them plays an important role in Northern Ireland s economy. Statistics revealed in 2008 show that migrant workers contributed 1.2 billion to the local economy as they filled about 40,000 jobs. [37] I also asked respondents how difficult it was for them to find a job in Northern Ireland and how long it took them to find a job. Graph 4 Difficulty with finding a job 34