Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, mrci, promoting empowerment and inclusion of migrant workers in ireland

Justice for the Undocumented

Justice for the Undocumented - Earned Regularisation

There are an estimated 30,000 migrants including children and families living undocumented in Ireland. Most have been in Ireland for several years working and paying taxes, and have become deeply rooted within Irish communities. People who are undocumented live under tremendous stress and fear, are more vulnerable to exploitation and are excluded from basic services. Most are cut off from their families similar to the Irish undocumented in the United States. Much of this issue has come about as a result of the previous government's failure to establish coherent immigration structures and policies. Ireland has the opportunity to provide a fair and responsible solution to this situation by introducing an Earned Regularisation Scheme which would benefit undocumented migrants, their families and Irish society.

This scheme would give undocumented people and their families living in Ireland a window of opportunity to come forward and earn their way to permanent residency status. Upon registering for the scheme and paying a fine, eligible applicants would be granted a temporary residency status. Then individuals would work their way to earning permanent residency status by meeting specific criteria such as working, paying taxes and contributing to the community, over a limited time period.

Earned regularisation is not an amnesty. It is earned over time as opposed to being rewarded automatically. It is a pragmatic solution which considers both the rights and responsibilities of undocumented migrants, and the Irish state. International migration experts consider earned regularisation as the most effective model to respond to the undocumented situation. They also point out that any potential pull factor in terms of irregular migration is likely to be minor relative to other factors, such as the labour market and family reunion.

SIGN OUR PETITION HERE TO SUPPORT UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS IN IRELAND!

For more information download the Justice for the Undocumented info leaflet

For more also download how Earned Regularisation works

Justice for the Undocumented Action Group

MRCI has organised action groups in Dublin and Galway who are working collectively to bring about change for all undocumented migrants in Ireland. The groups has been meeting since June 2010 and have been developing their campaign plan and actions to influence government. The Justice for the Undocumented Action Group is concerned with the rights of undocumented migrants in Ireland, and are actively campaigning for a Earned Regularisation scheme to be introduced by the Irish Government.

Coalition to Oppose Summary Deportation in Immigration Bill
Members of the regularisation group took part in an action on the 6th October 2010, led by a collation of immigrant organisation to demonstrate its opposition to the introduction of summary removal. The provision for summary removal in the Immigration Residence and Protection Bill 2010 could have a immediate and severe consequences on group members if this proposed leglisation in its current form was passed. The group see this as an opportunity for the Government to respond to the issue of undocumented migrants in Ireland and take action by introducing an earned regularisation. See press release

Regularisation in Ireland

Undocumented Workers Scheme 2009
On 1st October 2009, the scheme for undocumented workers, or 'Bridging Visa', was officially announced. This scheme was open for three months at the end of 2009.
For more information go to INIS website.

Irish Born Child Scheme
Before 2003, parents of an Irish-born child were also able to withdraw from the asylum process and seek leave to remain. Since February 2003, the Department of Justice and Law Reform no longer accepts applications for leave to remain based on a person's parentage of an Irish-born child. In 2005, under the Irish Born Child Scheme (IBC/05) a number of foreign national parents of children born in the State before 1 January 2005 were granted leave to remain for an initial period of 2 years. In 2007, under the IBC/05 renewal scheme many of them had their leave to remain extended for 3 years, subject to certain conditions. They can now also apply for a further 3-year extension of their leave to remain.

International Regularisation Updates

From June to December 2009 alone, four regularisation programmes of varying size and impact have taken place in Belgium, Italy, Greece and Ireland.

Belgium
NGOs, faith groups and activists have been campaigning for the past five years for a regularisation of undocumented migrants. A regularisation was announced in July 2010 which provided a window of opportunity for people to come forward to rectify their legal status. Al cost were covered by the State. For more information see Euronews.

Brazil
It is estimated that there are around 100,000 undocumented migrants in Brazil. In December 2008, the Brazilian Government proposed a new law to implement a regularisation process for undocumented foreigners. The law is the result of a consensus between trade unions, employers' confederations and the Brazilian Government, in partnership with migrant organisations. The law was approved on 2 July 2009, and the Regularistion period commenced from July to December 2009. For more information see International Labour Organisation.

Israel
August 2010: Israel proposed a regularisation scheme for undocumented children. Under the new guidelines, based on the length of time the children have been resident there and their integration in the education system, about 800 qualified to stay. Their parents and siblings will be entitled to temporary residence permits. See New York Times article

Italy
A regularisation scheme was implemented for domestic workers employed with a family for a least one year duration. This scheme was open from 1st to 20th September 2009.