Migrant workers must not be used as a political football

Integration is a two-way process, interculturalism enriches all our lives; migrants, you've been so vibrant, but now off you pop to where you come from. In advance of an election campaign in which prominent politicians with a track record of populist pronouncements will star, Siobhan O Donoghue outlines the precarious situation of many people who have migrated to Ireland, and sets out mimimum issues that any new government must address.

Shut the door on your way out

Migration is a popular political football for politicians seeking to score political scores, and politicians from our likely future government have played the game. Remember Leo Varadkar's (FG) 2008 proposal to ship unemployed migrant workers back to where they came from? Remember too when the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social and Family Affairs wanted to change EU law and limit EU citizens right to child benefit in the country they are residing in? (This, of course, was after we ratified the Lisbon Treaty!) Pat Rabbitte's (Lab) call for work permits for fellow EU citizens from Romania and Bulgaria was a particularly cynical stroke. When these populist feelers are put out, it is rare for them to be censured by the parties. When the former Mayor of Limerick Kevin Kiely (FG) called for unemployed migrants to be deported back to their home countries no attempt was made to sanction him.

The government has been particularly adept at speaking out of both sides of its mouth on the migration issue. Former Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern's pronouncements on valuing immigrants pale beside his determination to legislate for the summary deportation of irregular migrants (Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2010). Consider that a person being extradited for murder receives formal notice of 12 days; the attempt to legislate for summary deportation without the right to appeal gives some indication of the harshness of his proposal. It seems he would rather have the High Court clogged up with legal challenges costing the state millions – 'a lawyers' bonanza' as described by one member of the legal profession - than allow people being subjected to a deportation access to due process, a right enshrined in European and International law.

The media isn't immune from the easy ploy of hitting on migrant workers in the pursuit of provocative headlines. The Irish Independent on 12 October 2010 published an article (plus editorial) 'Thousands of workers imported despite jobs crisis'. The actual number of employment permits, including new permits and renewals, issued to non-EU workers over the past two years has decreased by 300%. In 2007, a total of 23,604 permits were issued, and by 2009 it decreased to 7,962. In addition, the majority of the 'new' permits issued and being referred to in the article are to people already in the country simply renewing their permits. The basis for the article was an interpretation of work permit figures that was false and misleading.

The impact of the economic crisis and recession has hit the poorest and most vulnerable hard, including migrant workers. Despite having real policy choices, cuts to social welfare and to the minimum wage are a clear manifestation of a deeply hostile and uncaring government focused on a section of the population with minimal political power and voice. Apart from the direct impact of the cuts, the enforcement of government policy is causing even greater difficulty for some of the most vulnerable migrant families. Service providers are not even disguising that the strategy being pursued is to make access to entitlements as difficult as possible. At a recent meeting with senior public officials we were categorically told that the policy of the state is to dissuade people from coming here and to encourage those here to depart. 'Encouraging to leave' involves a range of tactics ranging from increasing fees for visas and services to neglecting to tell enquirers the full information on their rights and entitlements, to actively profiling migrants.

In recent years the Migrants Rights Centre Ireland has seen a dramatic increase in levels of destitution and hardship. More migrants are becoming undocumented and many families are becoming homeless. The treatment of children is particularly appalling, and despite repeated assurances from the government that children will receive the full protection of the state, it is clear that this does not extend to the rights and needs of all children living in the state. For the undocumented the situation is particularly difficult. A case just prior to Christmas 2010 highlights just how dangerous and fearful life is if undocumented. An undocumented woman found she was pregnant but was too frightened to seek medical care and gave birth at home. Both she and the baby nearly died before she received medical attention. Many undocumented migrants find themselves being mistreated by unscrupulous employers and landlords. We have lots of reports of unpaid wages, extortion, subjection to threatening and degrading treatment, and more.

Migrant justice and the new government

A new government must take seriously the need to regularise undocumented migrants and their families. MRCI is proposing an 'earned regularisation programme' as the most practical and feasible option. Earned regularisation involves allowing all those who are undocumented to register with the state and to then earn points (work, family circumstances, evidence of integration, language proficiency etc). The person is then given a number of years to earn sufficient points and in the meantime is guaranteed that s/he will not be deported. A new government must also take action to address the flaws inherent in the work permit system which place migrant workers on work permits at a serious disadvantage. The key change must be giving people the right to change employer without having to go through a lengthy and costly process of applying for a new work permit. Registration of the new employer should be sufficient. The current situation means that a person may have paid for a new permit (€1,500), be made redundant within a few weeks, forced to find a new employer willing to make a new application, pay for a new work permit (another €1,500) and wait for up to 2 months for the new permit.

Over the next weeks it will be hard work combatting attempts to demonise groups and communities who are marginalised and easy prey for political parties attempting to distract from their failings and lack of clear policy commitments. There is a real danger that the election campaign will be used to pitch vulnerable communities against each other in the scramble for votes. Solidarity with each other is critical now more so than ever and community and voluntary organisations will be working hard to maintain this solidarity. MRCI, as a member of the Irish Network Against Racism, will be proactively reminding all political parties of the Anti Racist Political Protocol which they have all signed and commits them to conducting elections in a non racist manner. Vigilance is key and we all have to ensure that this election is conducted in a manner that builds solidarity and support for an equal and just society.

Siobhán O' Donoghue is the director of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland www.mrci.ie

(Image top via tomulus on flickr)