Undocumented migrants will finally be regularized in Ireland. A unique device has just been announced this week by the Ministry of Justice. At the end of the month, thousands of migrants will be able to register and ask to be regularized. The condition: to have been living in Ireland for at least 4 years. It is estimated that 17,000 people could benefit.
With our correspondent in Dublin, Laura Taouchanov
Some have been working in Ireland for several years for a derisory salary. Thanks to these two-year residence permits, thousands of people will finally come out of the shadows, hopes Nick Henderson, director of the Refugee Council.
” They are the carers who take care of our elderly people, those who work in our public transport… In short, those who make the country go round! This opportunity will change their lives. Their working conditions will certainly improve. The daily stress they have been through is unimaginable so this is a huge step from the Irish government, to give them some peace and get on with their lives. »
But this path to citizenship has a cost: 550 euros for a single person, 700 for a family. Mary Henderson is a lawyer with the Immigration Council. ” That’s a lot of money for someone who’s paid below minimum wage. Since the device will be open for 6 months, we really hope that people will be able to collect the funds, that they will not be discouraged. And we hope that many people will be able to benefit from it in Ireland. »
Today, some asylum seekers could wait up to two years for a response. So given the pile of files expected, the government promised to shorten processing times.