Justice for Immigrants newsletter
Thursday, December 7th, 2006The Justice for Immigrants campaign, a Catholic church group advocating US immigration reform, has published its December newsletter. This issue gives an update of the campaign and the effect of the US elections, giving tips for legislative advocacy. The newsletter profiles the National Council of Catholic Women in its “Participating Organisations Showcase”, and highlights the campaign’s work in San Jose, California.
The newsletter also provides details on National Migration Week, which will be held January 7-13, 2007.
Read the newsletter at the Justice for Immigrants website.
Cork IT group invites returnees
Wednesday, December 6th, 2006A networking organisation for IT professionals in the Cork region, IT@Cork, is offering itself as a tool for returning emigrants to ease their integration back into local industry. The organisation recently published an article entitled “Support for Returning Emigrants” on its website.
The article addresses how organisations are looking to returning Irish emigrants as a way of address hiring shortages in the IT industry; it also outlines some of the tax benefits that returnees can avail of. It notes that “11% of all ‘High Potential Startup Projects’ funded by Enterprise Ireland were started by returning emigrants”.
The article concludes with encouragement:
If you are considering returning home, the employment prospects could not be better. The Irish IT industry is a stable and mature industry, where experience and expertise are rewarded. A number of agencies, both public and private, are there to help you with the transition, whether that be to join an existing company or to assist you in setting up your own company. If you haven’t thought of moving back, maybe now is time to give it some consideration.
Read the article on the it@Cork website.
Visit the it@cork website.
Migration Policy Institute explores US immigration reform
Wednesday, December 6th, 2006The Migration Policy Institute explores the effects of the November elections in the US in its Policy Beat this month. It notes that many analysts believe the chance for immigration reform have improved, and that
Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), who is likely to lead the Senate subcommittee on immigration, has already begun to work with Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) to make plans for a new bill to be introduced early next year.
The bill will probably resemble the one the Senate approved last May.
The Policy Beat also includes information on the redesign of the Citizenship Test, new security measures, and the upcoming hikes in immigration fees.
Migration Policy Institute names its global top 10
Wednesday, December 6th, 2006The Migration Policy Institute’s “Migration Information Source” has named the “Top 10 Migration Issues of 2006”. The top issue was a shift in many government’s policies from multiculturalism to assimilation; next came the UN’s High-Level dialogue on International Migration and Development, the first time UN ever hosted a multilateral discussion on the topic.
Coming in third was US immigration reform; the Source says, “Better luck next year”. It notes, “The United States has not come much closer to President Bush’s vision of immigration reform although events in 2006 may have changed the political climate in which immigration will be debated next year.”
See the rest of the Top 10 at the Migration Information Source website.
Earlier this year, the Source produced a special issue on The Second Generation – well worth a look. It examines the experience of second-generation adult immigrants in the US.
Greg Delanty: emigrant laureate
Saturday, December 2nd, 2006Colum McCann, the Dublin-born, New York-based writer, appears in the weekend section of the Irish Times today praising the work of poet Greg Delanty. Greg Delanty, born in Cork and living in Vermont, is one of Ireland’s best-known emigrant poets. This year he published “Collected Poetry, 1986 – 2006”. Born in 1958, Delanty has lived in the US for twenty years.
Colum McCann says,
I was delighted to see Greg Delanty’s ‘Collected Poems’. Delanty has cataloged an entire generation and its relationship to exile. He is the laureate of those of us who have gone.
Christmas visitors face car hire hikes
Tuesday, November 28th, 2006The Consumers’ Association of Ireland says that car rental companies in Ireland are fleecing visitors who want to hire a car over Christmas. The CAI’s John Cradden compared car hire prices on websites in the days prior to Christmas (5-18th December) with the holiday period (23rd December – 5th January 2007); the companies surveyed were Avis, Hertz, Budget, Argus and National. Most firms doubled their prices over Christmas; Budget is actually charging 225% more for the Christmas rental.
The CAI also looked at car hire prices in Belfast and Paris over the same weekend. The same companies had more modest increases for Belfast, ranging from no increase to a 57% rise. There was no increase in price for Paris.
CAI’s Chief Executive Dermott Jewell stated:
“Yet again we see this sector hike their prices outrageously without any additional benefit to the customer and with a complete disdain for the negative effect upon tourism. It is profit that is the focus but with greed at its core. It is important therefore that we let our family members coming home and friends visiting for Christmas know that they must look at all possible transport alternatives before giving business to these outlets.�
See the Consumers’ Association of Ireland press release.
« Previous Entries Next Entries »