Over 1600 Irish refused benefits under HRC
Monday, November 19th, 2007There were 1,629 Irish citizens and returning emigrants that have been refused welfare benefits under the habitual residency condition, according to a report by Carl O’Brien in today’s Irish Times.
Emigrant Advice staff member Joe O’Brien says that the situtaion is detrimental to those intending to return:
“It’s something that needs to be tackled immediately because it’s unacceptable that returning Irish emigrants should be refused the safety and the protection of the welfare system on their return.
“The restrictions are unfair because they don’t take into account how long a person may have lived her prior to the welfare rules changing. As a result, we’ve asked the department to make alterations to the application of the habitual residency condition.”
The report says the Department of Social and Family Affairs said 90% of returning emigrants have their applications accepted. Emigrant Advice says they know of a number of returning emigrants and missionaries who have been refused social assistance.
Michael Ring on emigrants in US, Britain
Friday, November 16th, 2007Mayo TD Michael Ring, the Fine Gael Spokesperson for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, has debated Trina Vargo of the US-Ireland Alliance over her objections to the campaign for a bilateral agreement to legalise the status of undocumented Irish in the US. Mr Ring took a strong stance in support of the campaign; he tabled last week’s motion in the Dail seeking to support such a bilateral agreement.
Meanwhile, the Mayo Advertiser is reporting that he will use his new position in the British-Irish Parliamentary Body to work on behalf of Irish emigrants in Britain. “I will be speaking to my counterparts in Britain to try to help the Irish in Britain who have been struggling,� he told the paper.
Hear the clip from the News at One.
Ean quoted in Irish Echo story on US-Ireland Forum
Friday, November 16th, 2007Ean has received a mention in the Irish Echo’s article on the US-Ireland Forum.
The article, by Stephen McKinley, describes the events of the conference.
The relevant quote:
“It’s an exciting time to be involved with Diaspora issues,” said Noreen Bowden, a first-generation Irish New Yorkers who lives in Dublin, and is director of the Emigrant Advice Network. Summing up her feelings about the forum’s success, she welcomed the news that the forum would be organized again next year.
“One thing that cropped up a few times was the idea of political participation; giving emigrants some voice in the political process is something that Ireland should probably revisit now,” Bowden said. “Almost every other developed nation in the world allows its emigrants to vote, even if living permanently in another country.”
See the entire article from the Irish Echo.
US campaigner has dim hopes for reform
Friday, November 16th, 2007Also in the Irish Times today is an interview with US immigration campaigner Frank Sharry, who talks to the paper’s migration correspondent, Ruadhan Mac Cormaic.
Sharry is executive director of the National Immigration Forum, offers an extremely pessimistic view of the prospect for immigration reform, saying that it may be ten years before a solution could be politically viable. He says the situation developed into a ‘culture war’, and the debate became racialised and deeply polarised. He noted that vocal anti-immigrant groups had always existed, but “what has changed is that one of the two major parties in the country has embraced them”. He added, “And so now there’s going to be probably two or three election cycles in which this issue gets played out in the electoral arena”.
Even if a Democratic president were to be elected, Sharry says, the issue is so “radioactive” that it would be unlikely that immigration reform would be addressed early in the term.
Sharry actually said that he would support the Irish Government’s efforts to secure a bilateral agreement to benefit the Irish among the undocumented, though he doubts it will succeed:
“I would be supportive of it, but I don’t see its viability, because people on the right will label it an amnesty and people on the left will say, ‘how come these white immigrants are going to get status rather than many others?'” .
Read the entire interview on the Irish Times website (subscription required).
No special deal, says US-Ireland Alliance founder
Friday, November 16th, 2007The founder of a prominent Irish-American group has spoken out against a special deal for the undocumented Irish in the US. Trina Vargo of the US-Ireland Alliance says that it is wrong for Irish-American campaigners to encourage the creation of a bi-lateral agreement that would provide special visas for Irish people.
While advocating for comprehensive reform that would benefit the estimated 12 million undocumented of all nationalities, she says that singling out the Irish “would be morally wrong, could harm the US-Ireland relationship, damage the high regard in which Irish-Americans are held, and lead to divisive debate in the US between the Hispanic community and the Irish-American community”.
She notes that the precedent that many campaigners cite – that of the Australian bilateral deal – in fact did not apply to undocumented immigrants. The deal was a trade agreement and featured temporary visas for specific professional skills.
She argues that continuing immigration will not serve as that foundation for the US-Ireland relationship in the future. Instead, “it will be based more on innovation, imagination, cultivation and communication, than on immigration”.
The US-Ireland Alliance describes itself as “a proactive, non-partisan organization dedicated to consolidating existing relations between the United States and Ireland – North and South – and building that relationship for the future”. Its most prominent activity is the Mitchell Scholarship programme, which brings over future American leaders for graduate study in Ireland.
See the full article in the Irish Times (registration required).
Visit the US-Ireland Alliance website.
Ean AGM and Seminar, 1 Dec 2007
Thursday, November 15th, 2007All members and interested people are invited to attend Ean’s AGM and seminar on 1 December, 2007, at the Temple Bar Hotel in Dublin at 11:00.
The seminar, which is titled “Focusing resources, strengthening links with the Irish abroad”, will include inputs on emigrant services, emigrants and the media, continuing emigration of people at risk, political participation, remembering soldiers who fought in wars abroad, and more. It will also include an update on the organisation’s work and reports on Éan’s projects in facilitating assisted holidays and a transition-year curriculum about emigration and the Diaspora.
Former senator Pascal Mooney, known for his work as an emigrant advocate, will be one of the hosts of the day. Social researcher Brian Harvey will speak on “Value for Money and Policy Review of the Support for Emigrant Groups Programme�, the recent report from Goodbody Consultants, and its implications for those involved in serving emigrants around the world. Writer Philip Orr will discuss Irish soldiers, North and South, who served abroad. Irish Times journalist Patsy McGarry will discuss the role of the media in keeping Irish connected.
The event will be recorded and downloadable from the organisation’s website, at www.ean.ie, by podcast. “Our aim is to make this an accessible, useful event for organizations around the world – and podcasting will facilitate this� says Ean chair Fr Alan Hilliard, who is also the Director of the Episcopal Commission for Emigrants. “We think it will be particularly useful for our member organizations around the world to get access to Brian Harvey’s analysis of the Goodbody Report on the Support for Emigrant Groups Programme, and we’re delighted that podcasting will make this possible�.
Our theme reflects the fact that we’ve come so far – the Irish Government has given tremendous support to emigrants in recent years, for example – and with increased technology and new attitudes there are exciting opportunities for stronger links than ever before.
Here is the schedule for the day:
11 – 11:30 Registration
11:30 – 12:15 Session 1 Introduction and work of Ean
Introduction
Overview of Ean work: Noreen Bowden
Talk on assisted holiday project: Karen McHugh
Alan Hilliard12:15 – 1:15 Session 2: Focusing resources
Brian Harvey on Goodbody Report on service provision to emigrants1:15 – 2:00 Lunch
2:00 – 3:50 Session 3: Strengthening ties
Patsy McGarry on the media and the Irish abroad
Philip Orr on the experience of Irish soldiers abroad
Noreen Bowden on political participation
Paula Lally on emigration of people at risk3:50 – 4:30: AGM business
· Presentation of accounts
· Nomination of board members4:30 Closing remarks and reception
All are welcome to attend! For questions or to RSVP, contact Noreen at noreen@ean.ie, or 01 8779011.
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