Financial hardship and family separation are two of the biggest barriers preventing migrants from integrating into Irish society, a leading immigrant-support group said today.
ICI chief executive Denise Charlton
The Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI), set up in 2001, helps hundreds of foreign nationals who come to Ireland every year in search of a new life.
Minister of State with special responsibility for integration policy Conor Lenihan visited the Dublin premises this afternoon to hear the concerns of some of those affected.
About 10 per cent of the State's workforce is now made up of non-Irish nationals and the Mr Lenihan's appointment as the first ever integration minister reflects the enormous impact migrant workers have had on the economy.
ICI chief executive Denise Charlton said she welcomed the Government's commitment to migrant support but said much worked remained to be done.
"We welcome the Government's commitment to develop a national integration policy, but believe that this can't be achieved in isolation from the need to ensure immigration policies are fair and transparent," she said.
"It's not realistic to expect a migrant to be able to effectively integrate into Irish society if they don't know how long they will be allowed to stay, if the Government repeatedly rejects their requests to have their families with them here or if they are suffering financial hardship because their spouse has been allowed to join them but denied permission to work."
A decade ago non-Irish nationals accounted for just 1 per cent of the workforce.
But Ireland's economic boom coupled with the accession of new states to the EU has transformed Ireland's labour market.
Mr Lenihan met with a number of immigrants to Ireland to talk about access to education for their children, housing difficulties and the need for English language tuition.
"The ICI believes the Government needs to take a more strategic, long-term approach to immigration and integration policies, which should be part of a shared vision on the future development of Irish society," Ms Charlton said.
PA