Immigration

Immigration Policy : Executive Summary

Immigration is one of the most pressing political challenges for the international community today. It is imperative that governments realise they cannot ignore immigration and instead need clear legislation and guidelines in place to deal with the issue fairly and adequately.

In Government the Green Party will :

Introduce an Immigration System in Irelandbased on best practice elsewhere (eg US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand). The Green Party favours decisions on how many immigrants should be admitted being based on a quota system, rather than a system of direct labour market needs. A new system would preferably be based on a points system that is fair and transparent, where the people with the most needed skills are given higher points and chosen first to get a visa, as happens in Canada. Other less skilled workers, for which there is a considerable demand in Ireland at present, can be chosen as part of a lottery-based Green card system such as applies in the US. Furtherrnore, our immigration policy will focus on the rights and entitlements of immigrants rather than concentrating on restrictions to their entry into this country.. Set up a Ministry of State for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs in the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility for driving a robust, high-level cross-departmental process that would co-ordinate the work of all departments and agencies that have a brief in relation to immigration policy Shift the issuing of work permits from the employer to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and ensure all forms of permission to work are issued to the employee rather than the employer Fund comprehensive immigrant research in Ireland, based on the immigration that has occurred to date Promote long-term multi-cultural integration strategies as a key element of national immigration policies. Fund awareness campaigns that educate the Irish public about the role of immigration in Irish society, on the changing nature of Irish national identity and the contribution of immigrants in Ireland, and establish a national forum to facilitate this debate. Ensure cultural sensitivity training is provided for public service workers.

• Introduce a visibly independent appeal process for Immigration decisions, based on the principle of fair and prompt treatment of applicants
• Ensure that no prospective immigrant will be held in detention for migration-related reasons, other than in the most exceptional circumstances (ie where a prospective migrant poses a serious danger to public safety).
• Ensure advice and assistance are provided in appropriate languages at ports of entry and that legal aid is provided for immigration cases
• Provide suitable training for immigration officers and encourage greater ethnic minority participation in the Immigration Service
• Fund the services offered by ethnic-led non-governmental organisations working with the immigrant community, in particular those which provide for the educational, cultural and linguistic needs of migrant workers
• Accept equivalent overseas educational and professional qualifications for jobs in the public sector and encourage this in the private sector. We will set up a register of overseas qualifications and their Irish/EU equivalents to assist this and will encourage and fund supplementary training or conversion courses where necessary.
• Ensure that employment legislation protects economic migrants from being exploited by their employers.
• Streamline administrative arrangements for immigrants in such areas as PPS numbers, bank accounts and tax
• Remove restrictive legislation surrounding work permit holders so that they can be reunited with their families after three months, provide equal status between work permit holders and visa holders and allow partners of permit holders the automatic entitlement to work following reunification
• Amend the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 2001 pertaining to marriage (ie provide for long-term residency while waiting for citizenship)
• Ensure that family reunification will include same-sex partners
• Underpin the right to work in Ireland with the principle of ?permanence? that recognises that workers are people with families who can become permanent members of society if they so wish and introduce legislation entitling any person legally resident in Ireland for three years or more to apply for permanent residency.
• Ensure that families will not be divided by deportation unless the deportee poses a serious danger to public safety