The environment for undocumented Irish immigrants in the US may become more challenging following the 2024 presidential election where immigration was a central issue, the Department of Foreign Affairs has advised the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Harris.
In a briefing paper for the incoming minister, published at the weekend, the position of undocumented Irish in the US is among the sections dealing with the US president, Donald Trump, that are the subject of heavy redactions.
“Engagement with the new US administration” is the first item in a list of matters requiring early attention but what the engagement should be focused on is redacted.
“Early engagement with the new US administration on geopolitical issues will also be important,” is the second item listed.
In the body of the paper, the section on the US is almost entirely redacted, with the only published sections concerning details of the extent of the Irish diplomatic operation in the US. By contrast, extensive sections on Ireland’s relationship with the UK and the EU are published without redaction.
On the UK, the Tánaiste is advised that the continuation of the “new positive momentum” in the relationship with the UK is among the items requiring early attention, while the section on the EU advises that geopolitical change and an increased focus on security will feature heavily as Ireland prepares for its presidency of the EU in 2026.
“Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and uncertainty over the future direction of US engagement with Nato demonstrate a deteriorating and volatile international security contest,” the paper said.
“This has brought security and defence issues to the very top of the EU’s political agenda and a new focus and attention to these questions in Ireland.”
EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen has a “clear focus on the area of security and defence policy as a cross-cutting issue”, it said.
Key areas of focus will be strengthening the European defence industry and technological base, common projects such as the European Defence Shield and joint procurement, and how these are to be funded.
The election of Lieut Gen Seán Clancy to head the EU Military Committee from May of this year will help Ireland engage with the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy, the paper said.
An increased focus on support for Ukraine, and an enhanced partnership between the EU and Nato are also likely to feature in the coming period, the Tánaiste is told.
The section on EU candidate countries Georgia and Moldova are entirely redacted, as is a section on Russian ally Belarus.
On the Asia Pacific, the paper said it is a key region for global economic growth, that China is Ireland’s most significant economic partner in the region, and that Australia and New Zealand are our most “like-minded partners” there.
A large section apparently about China is redacted. The recent visit of Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi to Dublin came after a verbal invitation was extended to him by then tánaiste Micheál Martin, during a visit to China in November 2023, according to the paper.
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There was a 50 per cent increase in requests for consular assistance between 2021 and 2024, when there were 1,872 cases, and the trend is expected to continue, according to the paper.
Child abduction cases involving countries that are not party to the Hague Convention, and citizens with mental health issues, are among the complex categories of cases being dealt with, as are missing people, arrests and social welfare cases.
Applications for foreign birth registration, which can lead to an Irish passport on the basis of descent, continue to increase, with 40,000 applications last year, a 16 per cent increase on the previous year.
On visas, the paper noted that applications last year, currently estimated at 209,813, will be a one-third increase on the previous year.
Increasing demand is putting pressure on the visa service, where turnaround times can be up to several months, negatively impacting Ireland’s reputation abroad, and its capacity to attract business, educational and tourism visitors.
