Sir, – As the immigration debate returns to the forefront of American political debate, I note that you refer in several of your reports to "undocumented" Irish people in the United States ("Obama paves way for illegal Irish immigrants to visit home", Front Page, November 21st).
Do you also refer to migrants who are illegally resident in Ireland as “undocumented”? “Undocumented” is a euphemism that seeks to obscure the fact that the people being described are illegal immigrants.
There is lots of room for debate about whether the immigration policies of the United States – or of Ireland – are just. But weasel words never help. – Yours, etc,
NIALL STANAGE,
Washington, DC.
Sir, – I see the Taoiseach has called on the US president to allow undocumented Irish immigrants to return home on visits pending a new immigration and citizenship system being established. Perhaps as an encouragement to Mr Obama, Mr Kenny he would do the same for undocumented immigrants into Ireland. – Yours, etc,
PETER MOONEY,
Cabra, Dublin 7.
Sir, – The Taoiseach hopes US president Barack Obama will help the undocumented Irish in the United States by allowing them a path to citizenship and the right to travel back and forth to Ireland in the meantime. If that is the case then there would be no difference between the privileges of an illegal immigrant and a legal one.
Why is there an expectation that undocumented Irish should have such “rights” when they wilfully violated the law by immigrating illegally to the US in the first place? Like Ireland, there is no guaranteed right for anyone born outside of the US to live there but only through the application process put into place. The Taoiseach and I would surely agree that Ireland’s borders and immigration processes should also be respected.
The Taoiseach could also do a great deal of service to Irish citizens by holding them to a higher standard than lawbreaking. While it is easy to feel sorry for those who can’t travel home to their native land for a friend’s wedding or a family funeral, let us not forget their irresponsibility in not thinking things through long before overstaying a 90-day holiday visa. – Yours, etc,
JACK KELLY,
Haddonfield,
New Jersey.
Sir, – In light of the US decision to seek to regularise the lives of thousands of undocumented Irish living in America, can our Government be inspired by this and regulate the lives of asylum seekers in our country who have for years been left living in limbo awaiting a decision about their case, living in unsuitable accommodation, without the right to work and having to survive on less than €20 a week? – Yours, etc,
COLM O’BRIEN,
Tallaght,
Dublin 24.