Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has stepped up the Government's campaign to persuade the United States to give working visas to tens of thousands of undocumented Irish immigrants.
Speaking in New York after meetings with Irish immigrant groups, he told The Irish Times that the campaign for immigration reform was an "absolute priority" in Dublin's relationship with Washington.
"I have said to my embassy here and consular staff right across America that the issue of the undocumented is one that we should give the highest political priority to," he said.
More than 160,000 Irish citizens live in the US and Irish people with job offers in the US have little difficulty getting a visa. The US issued almost 10,000 working visas to Irish people last year, many of them to employees of US companies with operations in Ireland.
Mr Ahern believes that fewer than 30,000 Irish immigrants in the US are in the country illegally, most of whom entered the country on tourist visas and stayed longer than the 90 days permitted. Since the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, extra security measures have made it difficult for immigrants without valid visas to get a driver's licence, open a bank account or to leave the US without being refused entry on their return.
"Each and every one of the 166 TDs and the senators as well have constituents, families who have some people out here who can't go back for fear of not being able to return to the US. I myself have quite a number of families in my own area who want their family member to go home for a sick parent or a funeral or a wedding and they can't. It has been raised time and time again within my parliamentary party," Mr Ahern said.
In New York and Boston this week, the Minister is meeting immigrant groups, US politicians and newspaper editors but his primary aim is to persuade the broader Irish American community to take up the cause of the undocumented.
"I'm trying to assist in getting a more co-ordinated lobby by Irish America in relation to this issue, given the fact that it really only affects 30,000 people out here and the Irish American community out here is much larger and a lot of them wouldn't even know that this is an issue," he said.
Congress is expected to debate proposals next year to deal with an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the US. Senators Edward Kennedy and John McCain have sponsored a Bill that would grant temporary visas for up to six years to undocumented immigrants who pay a $2,000 fine and any taxes they owe. During those six years, immigrants could travel freely and could apply to stay permanently.
Some Republicans want illegal immigrants to leave the US before applying for temporary working visas but businesses have warned that a mass deportation would be impractical.
