"Pressure for migration - both legal and illegal - is a characteristic feature of the emerging world order." So said the Taoiseach when he introduced two major reports on migration last Friday.
He acknowledged their findings that migration enhances economic and social progress and increased prosperity - if it is used to upgrade skills and work and to encourage mobility and integration rather than segmented labour markets and social separation. The Government faces a real challenge to deliver on these conditions.
The International Organisation for Migration, in its special report on Ireland, notes that until recently immigration policy here has been almost wholly employer-led, in response to a rapidly-growing economy and the need for extra labour to staff it. Most immigrants have been young and single. However with the prospect that migration will need to continue to fill out the demand for labour, many of them may decide to settle here with their families.
That creates an urgent requirement to integrate them into Irish society. There is a clear choice between policies which accentuate cheap labour supply in the low skilled sector of the economy without social integration - undermining the rule of law and the State's regulatory capacity - and those which foster an upgrading of value and skill by creating the social and institutional conditions for integration. The National Economic and Social Council strongly recommends the second course. It concentrates on labour market policy, informed participation in European Union and international policy-making, and a "whole-of-government" approach towards economic, social, cultural and civic integration.
Mr Ahern responded to the reports by outlining current Government policies to these challenges. Not before time, the Employment Permits Act of 2006 puts a new statutory system in place on work permits, allowing individual workers to apply for these. The Towards 2016 agreement makes specific provision to protect workers' rights. A new Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill aims to bring all matters involving immigration under the same legislative umbrella, so that all non-EU nationals will hold a residence permit. A new Irish Naturalisation & Immigration Service will provide a single access point for immigrants. Integration policies will be addressed through the National Action Plan Against Racism and by encouraging a widespread debate on a new Irish civic and political identity.
The political adequacy of these Government initiatives should be thoroughly debated, including in the election campaign, using these two reports as benchmarks. Among the topics needing particular attention are whether the new legislation restricts individual rights unduly, whether they are sufficiently funded, whether a junior minister should be given responsibility for these matters, and whether Tánaiste Michael McDowell's hostile attitude to closer integration of migration policies takes appropriate account of Ireland's interest in an effective EU-wide regime to deal with them.