The Fair Fees campaign group is made up of migrant workers and international students, who are deeply concerned about the extortionate cost of the Irish Residence Permit card especially with the current cost of living crisis.
Everybody deserves to be treated equally and fairly in the country they call home. Whether you’ve moved to Ireland to work, study, or join family and loved ones, no-one should be faced with an unwarranted government fee just for registering to live here.
The Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card costs €300 yet it only costs the state €20.44 to produce and deliver each card. Most people living in Ireland from outside the EU are forced to pay this fee every year, some even more often.
Non-EU workers such as nurses, chefs, engineers, IT specialists, agri-food workers, truck drivers, international students and each of their family members often have to pay this fee every year.
This fee doubled in 2012 as an austerity measure and has not been reviewed since. The fee is much higher than similar fees in other European countries.
This high-cost places an additional and unfair financial burden on people.
Our members believe that these fees should be affordable for people living, working and studying in Ireland.
The Fair Fees campaign group is calling for a reduction in IRP fee in line with similar services, such as a passport (€75) or driving licence (€55).
The €300 government IRP fee is unwarranted and extortionate. It takes advantage of people who have no other choice but to pay it.
A reduction in the IRP card fees would enable people to provide for themselves and their family’s health and wellbeing.
Lijie, spokesperson for the group “Reducing these fees would make us feel valued and equal in the place we call home”.
© 2024 MRCI.
