Call to appoint immigration minister
The Government should create a new minister for immigration and ethnic issues to promote better policies in the area, it was claimed today.
The Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI) made the recommendation as it addressed the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Human Rights in Leinster House.
The immigrant rights group suggested that a Minister of State for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs in the Taoiseach’s Department could be created to co-ordinate overall strategy to integrate the country’s growing non-national population.
“Currently, several Government departments have a brief in relation to immigration and social inclusion policies with little or no co-operation between them,” said ICI chief executive Denise Charleton.
“This new initiative would provide an opportunity for them to work together,” she said.
“It would drive a robust, high-level cross-departmental process that would co-ordinate the work of all departments and agencies who have a brief in this area.”
The ICI also criticised the Government’s “fairly ad hoc policy-making” on immigration laws since 2000 but acknowledged that it was in the process of formulating a more comprehensive and coherent legislative framework beginning this year.
Rights on crucial issues like family reunification, citizenship and permanent residency needed to be enshrined in this legislative framework, Ms Charleton said.
The ICI also called for more funding for minority ethnic organisations and NGOs who play a role in reversing the effects of social, economic and political exclusion.
A recent ICI survey of immigrants found that they experienced labour exploitation, barriers to accessing college courses, difficulties regarding family reunification and limited opportunities for integration.
The ICI also said that the State’s health services did not adequately cater for the needs of immigrants.
“Throughout Europe, migrants and minority ethnic people bear a disproportionate share of health problems.
“In Ireland we have little or no mechanisms in place to measure migrants’ needs and their use of health services,” Ms Charleton said.
She also said that social welfare restrictions introduced after EU enlargement had placed some immigrants at high risk of homelessness.
“Immigrants should be entitled to equal access to housing and accommodation and the Environment Department needs to provide guidelines on this,” she explained.
