Catholic bishops have called for residency rights to be given to some 11,000 special-case immigrant families with Irish-born children, who applied for residency before a Supreme Court ruling on the issue last year. Fiona Tyrrell reports.
This is the "only moral response" to the situation of the thousands of families who have been living in uncertainty, according to an open letter to the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, issued yesterday by Bishop Raymond Field on behalf of the Irish Bishops' Conference.
It is a matter of deep concern, he stated, that several hundred parents who applied to live in the State in accordance with rules in force at the time and have applications pending have been notified of a proposal to deport them and have no access to free legal aid.
Meanwhile, members of the immigrant population and refugee organisations across the country were yesterday responding to the news of the planned referendum.
Confusion and then fear were the initial responses among the immigrant population, representatives said. "We are very shocked at the news and still need time to digest what it means," explained Galway resident Ms Tokie Laotan.
"It has come out of the blue and will certainly add to the discontentment already existing among immigrants."
Ms Laotan, who is contesting the local elections next June, has pledged to run a double campaign over the next three months - one to get elected and the other to have the referendum defeated.
The announcement of the planned referendum just adds to the feeling of not being welcome that many immigrants are already experiencing, according to the chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council, Mr Peter O'Mahony.
"This is just part of a pattern of unwelcome that has developed in this country. It is now more difficult to get into Ireland and we have a substantial refusal rate - 4,800 people were turned away last year. Those that get in, having fled from their homes for whatever reasons, find they are not getting the Irish welcome that we pride ourselves on giving."
The move will add to the fear among the asylum-seeking and refugee population, according to Ms Tríona Nic Giolla Choille of the Galway Refugee Support Group, who said many people were fearful of speaking out.
"This is causing much confusion, fear and trepidation. People with children are who are awaiting the Minister's decision on last year's Supreme Court ruling keep hearing about planned changes all designed to limit and curtail the rights of their Irish-born children."
She questioned the necessity of a referendum and said that many believe that new legislation would suffice. "We are very disappointed at the Minister's decision and his apparent rush to hold a referendum. The Supreme Court judgment was made a year ago and now we have a three-month rush to a referendum, whose purpose is not clear. There is not sufficient time to debate and discuss this issue.
Meanwhile, the Immigration Control Platform has welcomed the move. "The public needs to be reminded, however, that this is no panacea. It merely puts us in the same position vis-a-vis asylum and immigration as every other EU country, and that is a very difficult position."