Radical “ethnic cleansing” claims made by Alex Jones’ Infowars over Irish government's Ireland 2040 program.

Alex Jones’ Infowars has published an astounding take on the Irish government’s Ireland 2040 program which jumps to the radical and conspiracy-theory-ridden conclusion that Ireland will experience “ethnic cleansing” as a result of an increased number of immigrants moving to the country over the next two decades.

Earlier this year, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's Fine Gael government revealed Ireland 2040 which aims to prepare the country and develop its infrastructure to deal with the predicted one million increase in population by 2040, as well as address issues in underdevelopment around the country as Ireland still struggles to completely bring all of its citizens out of the worst days of the recession. This was to be done with the aid of a €116 billion investment from taxpayers that would guide how the country develops over the next two decades through plans to invest in capital projects and focus on infrastructure in rural parts of the country.

While this predicted population growth is simply that, an expected rise in the number of people living in Ireland as a result of immigration, emigrants returning home or people generally having more babies, the internet's conspiracy theorists have gone wild, claiming that the Irish government's plan is nothing more than a smokescreen to cover the importation of high levels of people to Ireland who God forbid, would not be white or Catholic.

Read more: Ireland launches massive 2040 project to plan for the future

“No deal,” writes Michael Copeland, who originally posted his troublesome and ignorant rant on the site gatesofvienna.net. Completely missing the mark in terms of what the reasoning behind Ireland 2040 was, he instead decides that the money is being used to bring in a further one million people into the country, instead of the attempt at a framework to help Ireland deal with a predicted population increase.

“This is Population Replacement — you know, otherwise called Ethnic Cleansing …

“The mass migration will be of a MILLION foreigners, such as from Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan and Afghanistan. They will very likely be illiterate, and not speak English or have employable qualifications. If the UN, who choose who will migrate, has anything to do with it, the new arrivals will be mostly Muslim. They will not swiftly join the productive workforce.

“The luckless taxpayers of recently bankrupt Eire will have to pay not only to be colonized by their replacements but to maintain these cleansers for years and years on welfare. At the same time, they will be browbeaten to permit polygamy, child marriage, genital mutilation, and niqab oppression on the spurious grounds of ‘religious tolerance.’"

Read more: Trump Chief of Staff John Kelly dishonors his Irish heritage with racial comments

This is a blueprint for the destruction of the Irish people and nation. 1,000,000 extra people in a nation which has just 6.500,000 now! Were the Irish asked? do they want this? #Ireland2040 https://t.co/S8oUjXud0o — Morgoth (@morgoth_rev) February 25, 2018

It seems more than ironic that I write this from a country where over 30 million people claim to be of Irish descent because the Irish were once, and in some cases still are, the people who need a helping hand. In fact, what role did previous Irish immigrants to the US play in eradicating cultures already in this country?

The Irish were once regarded as ignorant, drunk fighters, depicted in the US media as among the lowest in society because of their Catholic religion and supposed penchant for misbehavior and laziness, which sounds pretty similar to many of the statements made above.

Read more: Short film reveals the terrible history of No Irish Need Apply

Taoiseach - The Irish mainstream media refuse to ask you, so I’m doing it here. We want a detailed breakdown of the demographic projections your #Ireland2040 policy is based upon. Thank you. https://t.co/FloQ18oFzZ — Gearóid Murphy (@gearoidmurphy_) February 25, 2018

Copeland’s bizarre claims are bemusing not just for their sheer ignorance or selective memory of Ireland’s own history of migration but for the claims that our extremely strong and vibrant culture could be eradicated by immigrants to Ireland when as an immigrant culture itself it manages to flourish in almost every corner of the world.

Irish culture will not be weakened by immigrants but if Copeland wants new arrivals to Ireland to integrate so badly then maybe he should look at the newest generation of Irish-language speakers, who thanks to the Gaelscoil system among other factors, hold in their rank new Irish citizens who speak not just the language of their country of origin and English but the Irish language as well. How many of these immigration haters can speaker their mother tongue as fluently as these kids who they believe don’t belong in our country?

Over one million more non-Irish, that will place the Irish firmly into an underprivileged minority status in their own land, will it not? @FineGael - Treason is too fine a word #Ireland2040 #Ireland https://t.co/dbSaA9O7LR — Hillary Ffrench (@sn0wball11) February 27, 2018

Copeland’s reference to “population replacement” in particular is striking as it itself notes the fact that there are parts of Ireland where other nationalities could, in fact, be replacing the decreased populations left as a result of emigration from Ireland.

How many towns and villages in rural Ireland are still experiencing a drain on their young people, who would rather make the most of their talents in another country? How many of these places could also benefit from an increased population regardless of the country of origin of the new workers, school students, neighbors and friends that will be brought to diminished communities through immigration? These communities need people not only survive but to thrive.

Regardless of your other views on Ireland 2040, this conspiracy theory is a step too far. While the latest census make have shown that Ireland's population now included 17% that were born somewhere else, the country is shown to have become more liberal and inclusive, as evidenced by the same-sex marriage referendum.

What do you make of the Infowars comments? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section, below.