About Us

 

Migrant Rights Centre Ireland is a national organisation working to promote justice, empowerment and equality for migrant workers and their families.

MRCI was first established in 2001 to bridge a gap in information services available to migrant workers and their families.  It has since grown to become a leading organisation advocating for change on many of the critical issues affecting migrant workers and their families in Ireland.

MRCI is a non-governmental organisation and a registered charity.
Company registration number: 370816. Charity Number: CHY17071




MRCI’s Vision is an Ireland where migrant workers and their families participate fully and equally in an intercultural society

MRCI’s Mission is to promote the empowerment and inclusion of those migrant workers and their families at risk of poverty, social exclusion and discrimination.

MRCI’s Strategic Priorities for 2008-2011 are:

  1. To strengthen the rights and protections for migrant workers who are at risk of or experiencing workplace exploitation, are trafficked for forced labour or are undocumented.
  2. To mainstream a focus on migrant workers at risk of social exclusion, poverty and discrimination within service and information provision, and within community and local development.
  3. To proactively provide migrant workers with the opportunities to develop leadership capacity.

 


Some of our Achievements:


Undocumented Workers Scheme - Successfully campaigned for the introduction of an official government scheme, or ‘Bridging Visa' to regularise migrant workers who become undocumented through no fault of their own.


Work Permit Reform- Successfully campaigned for the government's reversal of changes in employment permit policy in 2009 that would have forced hundreds of migrant workers and their families who had settled and made Ireland home to leave, Ireland or to become undocumented.


Tools for Social Change - Produced the first comprehensive resource guide to support community work with migrant workers in Ireland.


Migrant Worker Activism - Developed a strong, grassroots base of thousands of migrant worker activists across Ireland that continues to mobilise and campaign on issues of concern.


Information, referrals and trainings - Provide quality information and referrals to over 5,000 migrant workers and their families annually, and trainings to community, State, An Garda Síochána, Citizens Information Centres, trade unions and others across Ireland on critical issues facing migrant workers and their families.


€2 million in legal judgments and awards - Assisted hundreds of exploited workers to achieve settlements and judgements for back pay and for other violations of their employment rights.


400 people regularised - Assisted more than 400 workers who became undocumented through no fault of their own to regularise their legal status


Public Awareness - Consistently brought issues of exploitation facing most vulnerable migrant workers into public view, highlighting practical recommendations for change.


Improvements for mushroom workers - worked in partnership with the trade union SIPTU to highlight exploitation in the mushroom-growing industry, to organise workers, and establish a Registered Employment Agreement to improve pay and conditions.


Code of Practice for Domestic Work: in collaboration with ICTU, lobbied for the establishment by Government of a Code of Practice for Protecting Persons Employed in Other People's Homes, outlining the employment rights and protections available to domestic workers, and employers' obligation to inform such employees of their rights.


Inspections in the Private Home: Successfully advocated for the National Employment Rights Authority to undertake inspections into employment conditions for workers in private homes.


Accredited Community Work Course: Developed the first accredited community development course targeting migrant workers in Ireland: Community Work in a Changing Ireland, in conjunction with the Dept of Applied Social Studies MUI Maynooth, with twenty-two participants graduating from the programme.


Anti-Racism Work Supported the establishment of the Irish Network Against Racism (INAR) and continue to participate in its work, and the work of the European Network Against Racism secretariat, as an active member. Achievements include the publication and adoption of an Anti Racist Political Protocol signed by all main political parties and independents.