Press Release 3/5/11
New Study Profiles Immigrants’Integration into Irish society
How are immigrants integrating into Irish society? The Annual Monitoring Report on Integration 2010, published today (4 May 2011) by The Integration Centre, brings together a range of indicators to develop a profile of how immigrants are integrating into various aspects of Irish society: employment, education, social inclusion and active citizenship. Following a framework proposed at the EU Ministerial Conference on Integration at Zaragoza in 2010, the key indicators aim to be comparable across EU Member States, based on existing national data, and focused on outcomes. Immigrant equality in the workplace is also explored as special theme in this Report using the National Workplace Survey. Other indicators draw primarily on surveys conducted by the CSO.
Key Findings:
Employment
• Overall immigrants have been harder hit by the current recession than Irish nationals – with more job losses and a higher unemployment rate. At the start of 2010 their unemployment rate was 16%, compared to less than 13% for Irish nationals. More recent data from the CSO shows that this gap grew over 2010.
• Among non-Irish nationals, unemployment is highest among New Member State (EU12) nationals, and lowest among old EU (EU13) nationals.
Education
• Comparing all adults, a higher proportion of non-Irish nationals have third level qualifications than Irish nationals, though this gap is much smaller among youngpeople (25-34 year olds).
• PISA data from 2009 for 15 year olds show that while English-speaking immigrant students score as highly as Irish children, non-English-speaking students have much lower achievement scores in Maths and Reading.
Social Inclusion
• Overall, non-Irish nationals have somewhat lower average household incomes than Irish nationals.
• Rates of home ownership (33%) are very much lower among non-Irish nationals than among Irish nationals (80%).
• Non-Irish nationals report better health, on average, than Irish nationals.
Active Citizenship
• Available data show that the ratio of non-EEA immigrants who acquired citizenship to all non-EEA immigrants at year end 2009 was 13 per cent.
• The Irish approach to political participation allows non-Irish nationals to vote and stand in local elections. In the latest local elections, four immigrants were elected, giving a share of 0.2% among elected representatives.
Special Theme: Immigrants in the Workplace
The main findings of the study of immigrants in the workplace, using the National Workplace Survey of Employees 2009, are:
• Immigrants are more likely to report working in jobs below their skill level. They are also less likely to be in a permanent position and to receive lower gross earnings than Irish nationals.
• Those born in the EU12 have the least satisfactory experience in the Irish labour market of the groups studied. They are concentrated in low-skilled occupations, earn less on average and are less satisfied with their jobs.
• Those born in Asia and the Middle East also work in less favourable conditions: they are more likely to have lower wages, feel less secure in their jobs and be overqualified. The significant proportion of students in this group may be influencing these results.
Policy Issues
Discussing areas of policy concern, Dr Frances McGinnity (ESRI), report author, commented: “The degree of discretion involved in decisions on access to citizenship, together with long processing times, have a detrimental effect on the integration of non-EEA immigrants in Ireland. The absence of a comprehensive and transparent Long-Term Residency system causes insecurity and confusion among immigrants in Ireland.”
The report also notes that in the labour market, high unemployment among non-Irish nationals is a cause for concern, as is over-qualification. In education, cuts to supports for immigrant children in the education budget may have damaging long-term consequences.Furthermore cuts in recent years to a number of organisations charged with combating discrimination are likely to have negative consequences for integration. The report also highlights the ongoing challenge of measuring integration using existing surveys in Ireland which were not designed to measure immigrants, and proposes some possible developments.
Comment From Killian Forde, CEO The Integration Centre
This report shows that whilst immigrants are better qualified than Irish nationals, their unemployment rate is substantially higher. This has major ramifications for the Irish economy. It devalues skill-sets, and lowers the economic potential of the country.
When second generation immigrants grow up with their parents disallowed from using their training and skills, this can create disillusionment and the further segregation of immigrants within society.
A strategic focus is needed in addressing unemployment and under-employment among the immigrant population. An economic development strategy which creates training, educational and employment opportunities inclusive of the needs of the immigrant population would have a major impact on this problem. Currently, labour market policy only considers immigrants in the context of the employment permit system as a source of skilled labour to be recruited from abroad; this mindset needs to be amended.
It is imperative that Ireland looks to its neighbours and learns from past mistakes. We have a unique opportunity to create an integrated society that works for the betterment of all; this has to be the chosen alternative.
For further information please contact
Helena Clarke (Communications & Media Executive, TIC) 087-6325138, helena.clarke@integrationcentre.ie
Killian Forde (Chief Executive Officer, TIC) 086-3870543, killian.forde@integrationcentre.ie
Frances McGinnity(Senior Research Officer, ESRI), +353 1 8632066, fran.mcginnity@esri.ie;
Philip O’Connell(Research Professor, ESRI), +353 1-8632064, philip.oconnell@esri.ie
Note to Editors:
1.Annual Monitoring Report on Integration 2010, by Frances McGinnity (ESRI), Emma Quinn (ESRI), Philip O’Connell (ESRI) and Nora Donnelly (formerly ESRI), will be published online on the ESRI website at www.esri.ie, and The Integration Centre website at www.integrationcentre.ieat 00:01 a.m. Wednesday 4th May
2. The embargo is 00:01 a.m. Wednesday 4th May.
3. This study was commissioned by The Integration Centre and is the first in a series of four annual reports monitoring migrant integration in Ireland. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and are not attributable to the Integration Centre or the ESRI.
4. The study is jointly published by The Integration Centre and the Economic and Social Research Institute.
5. The study will be presented at the report launch at 12.00 on Wednesday 4th May in the Mansion House.
Ends
The Integration Centre is a non-governmental organisation which 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.
The Integration Centre, 18 Dame Street, Dublin 2, Tel: 01-6453070; Fax 01-6770061; email: info@integrationcentre.ie; website: www.integrationcentre.ie
The Economic and Social Research Institute, Whitaker Square, Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2. Telephone: +353 1 8632000 +353 1 8632000; Fax +353 1 8632100; email: admin@esri.ie; web site: www.esri.ie.
The ESRI is an independent research institute governed by a Council. The ESRI does not as an Institute take policy positions and the views expressed in ESRI publications are those of the authors. All ESRI reports are peer-reviewed prior to publication.