Future migration into Ireland must be managed "very carefully" with agreed limits, a trade union conference heard this weekend.
Pauline Conroy, of the social research organisation, Ralaheen Ltd, told the Siptu national women's forum in Tralee there was no policy on migration and no special provision for the education of migrant children or for adults to learn English.
"We don't have managed migration, we have ad hoc migration," said Dr Conroy. Migrant workers were being treated as "temporary guest workers" when they were in fact here to stay and become a permanent feature of Irish society.
She called for the introduction of a category of long-term resident which would entitle migrant workers here to social welfare and educational facilities geared towards them, as well as rights for spouses and children.
In other countries, such as the UK and Germany, there was clear evidence displacement had occurred with migrant workers taking jobs from indigenous workers. Trade union officials here were concerned about this, Dr Conroy told reporters.
"There is a worry about displacement," she said. "We have to think very carefully about what sectors have genuine authentic shortages. We need to know the reasons why Irish people are not taking up jobs," Dr Conroy said. Future migration policy had to be managed very carefully and limits understood and agreed to, she said.
The numbers of work permits still being applied for were puzzling, and a matter for concern, especially since there was such high unemployment in EU states.
The Slovak Republic had an unemployment rate of 16 per cent. Nevertheless, some employers "continued to prefer" workers from outside the EU, and in 2004 there were 1,000 applications for permits for workers from Turkey and the Ukraine combined.
This was inconsistent with Government policy of giving preference to EU countries, Dr Conroy said. She urged delegates to contribute to the discussion paper on immigration policy introduced by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell. The profile of migrant women here, particularly of black women, did not correspond with the reality of an independent, educated individual in search of a better life for herself and her children.
Instead the profile of women living in Africa was of "dependant women" surrounded by starving children. There was also the "propaganda" that migrant women were an unsupportable burden on the health services. The idea that women of colour here were more fertile than white women was being promoted not by the tabloid press "but among upper-rank medical and political professionals", Dr Conroy said. The fact was, most female immigrants were in the reproductive age group.
Donncha O'Connell, barrister and law lecturer at NUI Galway, said recruitment agencies needed to be "strictly regulated" to prevent exploitation of migrant workers. He also said employment permits should be issued to migrant workers and not employers.
Siptu president Jack O'Connor called for changes at the labour inspectorate. At least 75 labour inspectors were needed, he said. Currently there are just 21 inspectors and an additional eleven are to be appointed.
Mr O'Connor said the inspectorate should have a better resourced back-up service, and be moved from the Department of Enterprise to a new labour affairs department.