Protesters gathered in Dublin city centre this afternoon in protest at the new citizenship legislation which was published today by the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell.
Over 100 members of the Residents Against Racism protested outside the Central Bank in Dame Street shortly before 1 p.m. before a march to Kildare Street this afternoon to protest outside the Dáil.
The group says thousands of Irish children and their families are threatened with deportation, even though most of the affected couples have children who are Irish citizens.
Members of Residents Against Racism protesting against the new citizenship legislation
The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill 2004 Bill follows the June Referendum on citizenship legislation .
The bill means that a non-national child will only be given citizenship if one of the parents has been lawfully resident in the country for three years out of the four years before the birth.
Ms Rosanna Flynn, spokesperson for Residents Against Racism told ireland.comthat the affected families are in limbo. "Some of their children were born before the referendum, and all the mothers want to work. They hate being on social welfare," she said.
"We are here today because we want to highlight their plight on the first Dail day, and get rights for these families and their children" she said.
The Dublin Council of Trade Unions supported the protest. Spokesman Mr Des Bonass said "it is ironic that today's media emphasis is on the cabinet reshuffle, when it should be on real problems like those affecting emigrants and the poverty problem"
Mr Bonass said trade union groups should link up with groups in other countries and work together on issues affecting Irish emigrant abroad as well as new emigrants here.
The protest was attended by mothers and children from eastern European countries and African countries including Nigeria. The gathering was disrupted by a man who shouted obsenities at Gardaí and at some of the asylum seekers and refugees present.
Residents Against Racism supports and defends victims of racist harassment. The democratically-organised voluntary group is not aligned to any political party or organisation and some 50 per cent
of members who attend meetings are refugees, asylum-seekers or from ethic minority communities. The group has 24-hour helplines: 086 6662060 - 087 7974622