LIVING IN LIMBO: MIGRANTS’ EXPERIENCES OF APPLYING FOR NATURALISATION IN IRELAND REPORT

Published: Wednesday, February 08, 2012

The Immigrant Council of Ireland in collaboration with Nasc, The Irish Immigrant Support Centre

Ireland's rapid demographic change in the 1990s and in the first decade of the new millennium brought many benefits to this country and a number of real challenges. Immigration is now a permanent and positive reality for Ireland. The make-up of our society has changed forever - and for the better. While we were never the homogenous society that has, for many, become the accepted vision of Ireland before we became a country of net immigration, we are now a culturally, socially and ethnically richer society.

We continue to reap the benefits of this change. However, how we respond to the challenges will have a fundamental impact on our society in the future. There remains some resistance to accepting the fundamental fact that Ireland has changed forever. Until we overcome that resistance, we cannot take the necessary action to ensure we achieve a just and socially cohesive Ireland for the next generation.

We betray our lack of acceptance of the diverse reality of Ireland today in our rhetoric and in our lack of action in so many areas relating to immigration and integration. Once we truly accept that Ireland will continue to be a diverse society in a generation's time, it becomes immediately apparent that we need to take stock of our current approach to immigration and integration laws and policies. We need to ask if they are fit for purpose or, in fact, counterproductive. Ireland's approach to granting citizenship by naturalisation provides a valuable insight.

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