We need a national forum to devise a comprehensive immigration policy, writes Sister Stanislaus Kennedy
Migration is a growing and irreversible phenomenon worldwide. Remittances to immigrants' home countries are playing a role second only to oil revenues in the global economy.
Here in Ireland, tens of thousands of immigrants are working in virtually every sector of our economy and in all parts of the country, and making a vital contribution to our society, socially and economically
Immigrants and their families are also helping to counteract our ageing population which is now under the replacement rate. Immigration is here to stay. Ireland now has the opportunity to accept and sensibly regulate immigration, balancing the needs of our own citizens and those of immigrants on whom our economy partly depends.
And the more sensitively and reasonably this is done now, the better will be the outcome in the future, for us as a receiving country and for our immigrant population. An open and positive approach to immigration and integration in 2004 will determine how our children and future generations look on the world and its diversity of peoples and cultures in 2040. This is not the time to pick over the shamefully rushed-through, recent citizenship referendum, and there is no point in recriminations. But one thing recent events have indicated is how pressing the need is now, as the Minister for Justice is preparing his Bill on Immigration and Residency, to have an informed and reasoned discussion about the issue of immigration.
We must have such a discussion now in order to develop a comprehensive and managed immigration policy, which is crucial if Ireland is to continue to thrive in the global economy and attract the workers our economy needs, and if we are to take our place among the nations that have embraced diversity and inter-culturalism.
The organisation I represent, the Immigrant Council of Ireland, accepts that the State has the right and responsibility to manage immigration. But we also believe that the State has the responsibility to respect the human rights of all immigrants. A key strategy - and one the Immigrant Council has suggested to the Minister - should be the establishment of a national forum to thrash out the principles and procedures which would form the backbone of a comprehensive immigration policy.
Such a forum should ensure that immigration policy is not considered exclusively from the perspective of the employer and led by market demands. A national forum should be a truly democratic exercise, with policies being formulated in an open and transparent fashion with input from a wide range of interest groups.
A national forum should not only examine all aspects of immigration, but should also develop procedures that meet the highest international standards for the reception and integration of newcomers to Ireland as workers and as human beings. A key principle of any Irish immigration policy should be that newcomers to Ireland are "us", not "them". As long as immigrants are here, they should expect to be treated the same way as Irish citizens in all respects, with the exception of the privileges of citizenship itself.
The proposed national forum on immigration should clarify the role of immigration in Ireland, the rights and responsibilities of immigrants, and the rights and responsibilities of the receiving society. A national forum should also address procedural issues covering reception, integration, administration and enforcement, learning from other countries which have a history of immigration.
A national forum should clarify who is welcome to live in Ireland, how their admission is determined, by whom, on what basis, and within what time scale. However, welcome is the key, and a forum should also address the development of a rights-based policy for immigrants and look at how we can ensure fairness for all people living in Ireland in relation to jobs, housing, healthcare, social welfare and other services. It should also look at how to develop and implement a strong, effective anti-racist and anti-discrimination policy and strategy. These are just some of the issues that such a forum would need to address urgently if we are to fully consider the important issues of immigration and integration in Ireland.
Setting up this forum and implementing the changes it recommends would have financial implications but the costs are relatively small when you consider the social discontent and disharmony that could lie ahead if we do not face up to the issues today. A positive and inclusive approach to immigration could put Ireland in a "win-win" situation. No-one has to lose out. But it is up to us, and our Government, to hold the debate, set up the forum and implement its recommendations.
Sister Stanislaus Kennedy is executive chairperson of the Immigrant Council of Ireland