Election Edition From the Integration Centre
The Integration Centre - Connecting Communities Advancing Integration is committed to the integration and inclusion of people from immigrant backgrounds in Ireland.
The Centre specializes in planning, monitoring and advocacy at city, local, national and international levels and provides regionalized information, advice and training services. Evidence-based research influences positive change in legislation, policy and practice. We have more than 250 affiliated organisations as part of our network.
Election Asks from The Integration Centre
The Integration Centre calls for a government that will commit to promoting and supporting the integration of the immigrant population within the political, social and economic life of Ireland.
Provisions must be made for the employment, education, social inclusion and active citizenship of new communities that have made Ireland their home.
One of the major issues of this election campaign has been unemployment. Non-Irish nationals have experienced a more severe decrease in employment than Irish-nationals. However, election candidates are yet to highlight plans to increase training, employment and business opportunities for immigrants.
Ireland is a diverse country and needs to take advantage of the opportunities presented through diversity and integration. Economic recovery should draw on the wide range of skills and experiences that immigrants have brought to Ireland.
Dr. Anthony Finn, Interim CEO The Integration Centre says that, “Innovative thought must go into shaping our business strategies for the future. Policies which strangle entrepreneurial spirit, such as the business permit scheme wherein non-EU immigrants without a residency permit may not set up a business in Ireland without a €300,000 investment, cannot continue to hamper growth unheeded.”
The Centre, alongside many other civil society organisations, is also concerned that the current citizenship and long-term residency regimes are neither fair nor transparent.
Unlike other EU countries, Ireland's long-term residency is only available for work-permit holders and subject to renewal every five years. We call on the incoming government to eliminate discretionary decision-making, and introduce a fair and transparent process, to include non-EU nationals who wish to secure permanent residency and citizenship in Ireland.
It is vital to make Human Rights a foundation of Irish Immigration policy. The Immigration, Residence and Protection (IRP) Bill 2010, which has yet to become law, provides for the summary removal of migrants and those in need of protection, without fair access to effective remedies to challenge decisions affecting their human rights.
If this Bill becomes law it will trample on immigrant’s civil and fundamental rights, therefore we ask that this aspect of the Bill is amended.
Recent research alludes to an increase in racism in Ireland, especially among young people in our schools and colleges. New approaches to tackle racism and promote diversity in Ireland must be a part of the national policies of the succeeding government.
The Integration Centre supports the immediate abolition of direct provision for persons seeking asylum in Ireland. Under the direct provision scheme, persons seeking asylum experience poverty, psychological distress and are susceptible to social exclusion, as a result of the poor accommodation and minimal cash allowance received monthly.
Sein Fein Response to The Integration Centre
A chara,
Sinn Féin acknowledges the positive contribution that immigrants and new communities have made to the social, cultural and economic fabric of Ireland. We affirm our commitment to the successful integration and inclusion of immigrants and the two-way nature of this process.
We have consistently demanded affirmative measures to promote and achieve integration and see local authorities as having a crucial role to play in this area. We have called for the establishment of units in all local authorities to ensure that the rights of minority ethnic citizens and foreign nationals be defended and upheld; that migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers be ensured a welcome and that their rights to socialise, work and receive education without fear or discrimination are vindicated. Strategic plans with effective monitoring mechanisms are an essential element of any integration policy and must be created and implemented within the earliest timeframe possible and no later than the lifetime of the 31st Dáil.
We have proposed a range of measures to increase job creation and retention, training and entrepreneurship as a critical means of reducing unemployment, kick-starting the economy and returning Ireland to growth. Our proposals are non-discriminatory in nature and must be available to Irish residents from immigrant and ethnic minority as well as “indigenous” Irish backgrounds. We have consistently called for specific measures to promote the economic participation of immigrants and ethnic minorities, including legislation for – and enforcement of – equal rights (including pay) for all workers and increased provision of English and Irish language instruction. We call for the immediate ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.
We believe that the present naturalisation and residency processes are grossly inefficient, resulting in excessive, wholly unacceptable waiting times. These delays are especially relevant in an election year, as persons who have been resident on this island for well beyond the statutory minimum period to obtain citizenship are being disenfranchised solely due to government inefficiency. Recent reforms in the United States naturalisation system demonstrate that it is possible to streamline processing times without sacrificing rigor or precision in the examination of applications. Similar reforms must be introduced in this state.
We are also concerned by the harshness and lack of transparency in the application process. Applicants have been denied on vague and even spurious grounds of lack of "good character". This has been invoked against persons on vague and even spurious grounds, exemplified by a recent case in which a doctor working in the public health system was refused because she had once ran a red light on her bicycle. The Minister has absolute discretion in his decisions and there is no appeal. Sinn Féin believe that this is wrong and unfair, and have proposed a fully independent and transparent Immigration Appeals Tribunal in our election manifesto.
We opposed the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bills introduced by the Fianna Fáil/PD and Fianna Fáil/Green Party Governments as they failed to protect the basic human rights of migrants and asylum seekers. A key element of our criticism was the undue discretion given to the Minister for Justice and civil servants in his department, which has led to unacceptable levels of arbitrary decision-making. We believe that immigration law and policy must be grounded in a human rights-based approach that is fair, transparent, constitutional and consistent with our international obligations.
We have called since 1999 for asylum seekers to be given the right to work while their applications are pending – as is the case in every other European Union state bar Denmark. We oppose the direct provision and dispersal systems and call for their abolition. Our Dáil Leader and Health Spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD was the proposer of the Oireachtas Health Committee’s recent visits to the Mosney and Monaghan accommodation centres, which exposed many of the unacceptable practices taking place in direct provision.
We confirm our absolute and total rejection of racism and sectarianism, and our commitment to the principles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, which protects the right of immigrants and ethnic minorities to maintain and express their cultural identity.
Sinn Féin is committed to an Ireland of Equals. Immigrants and ethnic minorities are part of that vision.
Fine Gael Response to The Integration Centre
Fine Gael raised the need for reform of legislation in relation to immigration policies during the debate on Residence Immigration and Protection Bill. We highlighted the need for clarity in immigration processes and the need to bring an end to inconsistent decision making.
If in government, Fine Gael will bring into force comprehensive reforms dealing with immigration, residency and asylum issues which will include provision of a statutory appeals system to ensure we comply with best international standards and addressing the issue of inordinate delays in the system.
Fine Gael recognises, that although there are many interests which need to be balanced when determining the rules applicable to immigrants, it is important that their human rights are respected and their fundamental rights guaranteed by international obligations.
Transparency and fairness form the basis to the Fine Gael approach and this will be reflected in any future policy developments in the area of integration.
Yours Sincerely,
The Fine Gael Campaign Team 2011.
Manifestos 2011
Fis Nua Manifesto http://fisnua.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Fis-Nua-Manifesto-December-2010-web.pdf
Fine Gael
http://www.finegael2011.com/pdf/Fine%20Gael%20Manifesto%20low-res.pdf
Fianna Fail
http://fail.3cdn.net/9bab6b928c527f3728_60am6gzlc.pdf
Labour
http://www.labour.ie/download/pdf/labour_election_manifesto_2011.pdf
Sein Fein
http://www.sinnfein.ie/files/SF_GeneralElectionManifesto2011.pdf
Green Party
http://vote.greenparty.ie/downloads/manifesto.pdf