Irish Government Slammed after Hands are Tied Claim over Undocumented

The Emigrant (New York Edition, Feb 11, 2008)
By Suzanne Connolly

The Irish government has been slammed for failing to resolve the growing crisis of the undocumented here and for claiming its hands are tied on the issue.

Last week Taoiseach Bertie Ahern claimed that a resolution to the problem was unlikely because of the stance of the US authorities.

But leading immigration group Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform this week slammed the Irish government over its inaction on the undocumented issue, comparing comments by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to those of the Mexican President who this week pledged to up his commitment to Mexican immigrants in the US.

This week Mexican President, Mr Felipe Calderon, said; "The message I hope to convey to Mexicans in the United States is that their government has not abandoned them and will help protect their civil rights, even if they broke the law by crossing the border. The fundamental message is that we are with them, that the Mexican government is paying attention to Mexicans here in Mexico and in whatever other part of the world, and we are ready to help them with their problems."

This message is in sharp contrast to the message being sent out by the Irish government in the US, which is one of abandonment in the face of extreme hardship for the most desperate and vulnerable of the global Irish community.

Speaking in the Dáil recently, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said, "All of the main players and all our supporters in both Houses of Congress have made that clear to us since last year. We were very disappointed that efforts by the U.S. Congress to pass the comprehensive reform legislation were unsuccessful...however, we are continuing to explore bilateral options to regularize the status of the majority of the thousands of undocumented Irish, particularly those who have been in the U.S. for many years, and to put in place an ordered system of legal migration from Ireland to the United States." However, the Taoiseach went on to explain that the Irish government's approach is unlikely to reap dividends as "it will be extremely difficult to secure such an arrangement given the nature of the immigration debate in Washington."

NO PROGRESS ON UNDOCUMENTED IRISH

Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform vice chairman, Ciaran Staunton, told the Irish Emigrant that the Irish government admitted that they wouldn't even seek visas for the undocumented from the US government because they "wouldn't get it".

Despite the Irish government promising his organization last October that they would push the US government for a bilateral visa deal that would facilitate Irish and US citizens alike, no progress had yet been made and last week they admitted they would now not pursue the issue, Mr Staunton said.

"On the one hand they are saying 'We'll do all we can', yet when we speak to the Irish government and the Department of Foreign Affairs, they haven't done all they can (in seeking visas for the undocumented) because, they said, I quote, they 'wouldn't get it'. They are capable of doing it, but they're not doing all that can be done."

"The Irish Government's position is that it wouldn't be successful if it asked Washington but what about the Donnelly visa or the Morrison visa or the US getting involved in the Irish Peace Process? The US could've said it was an internal situation with the UK and not got involved. What if people used that line then, that we won't look for something because we won't get it?

"The Irish government has no short-term strategy for dealing with the undocumented here and no long-term strategy. Bertie Ahern says there is nothing going on in Washington, but (Executive Director with the ILIR) Kelly Fincham is only after having meetings with other immigration groups in Washington and a number of Congressional leaders are having meetings to see if they can pull something out before the fall. President of Mexico saying he is coming out to meet them, exiles... the undocumented Mexican community. On the other hand Bertie Ahern announces that you're on your own and it's unfortunate that they came here," he said.

In the event of an Immigration Bill coming through, the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform has called for two key objectives; legalization for the Irish already here and a pathway for the Irish from home to come over.

J VISAS

The current Irish government thinking on the problem of bringing relief to the 50,000 Irish undocumented is to advocate for a 12 month 'J' visa for new people coming from Ireland to use to work in the US for one year but this will only worsen the problem, Mr Staunton said, as people using those visas will be tempted to overstay and therefore add to the number of undocumented here.

"The J visa is already available," Mr Staunton said. "It is a 12 to 18 month work visa but many stay on. We've said 'why are you pursuing this route, it's only a short-term solution. It's unworkable. The undocumented here are J visa overstays. This does not deal with the problem long term. It's unworkable, it's exacerbating the problem," he said.

"They have no interest in pursuing (a solution) as the Department of FA said last week they knew they wouldn't get it. It's a defeatist attitude," Mr Staunton said. "They're in denial. We met Immigration groups in San Fransisco, Chicago, Philadelphia and New York and they all report that the Irish are coming back or that young people are coming for the first time. This is because of high unemployment at home, people are being laid off and their coming to America is widely reported in the New York Times and elsewhere," he said.

EMIGRANTS RETURNING

Indeed, the Irish Emigrant covered the story of immigrants returning from Ireland after going home and finding life there too difficult, because of a lack of employment and cultural problems, having lived in the US for so long. Adding to the trend of Irish immigrants returning to he US is the problem that almost 1,700 Irish citizens were denied entitlements to social welfare benefits for two years after arriving home, because of tighter restrictions on payments introduced by the Irish government.

IMMIGRATION ISSUE 'NOT DEAD' IN CONGRESS

Executive Director with the ILIR, Kelly Fincham, said, "The Hispanic caucus in the House of Representatives is spearheading an effort to negotiate a five-year temporary work and travel visa for the undocumented as part of a package which would see passage of a bill aimed at expanding the H-2B temporary work visa program. Surely our representatives in Washington should have told the Taoiseach that the issue of immigration reform is still being debated in Congress.

"It's not dead. The issue is still very much alive in Washington with the Hispanic caucus effort at the moment to try and cobble together some sort of legalization program in this Congress session," she said.

Pointing to President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon's week-long tour of the US aimed at working for the undocumented Mexican community in the US, Ms Fincham said, "It is so poignant to watch the news this week and see the president of Mexico so actively reaching out to the undocumented Mexicans to let them know that he has not forgotten them and he is working on their behalf to find a solution."