“WE WORK HARD, we contribute every day, we’re part of this country.” Priya is undocumented and has lived and worked in Ireland for the past eight years.

As concerns are raised for the undocumented Irish under a Trump administration, undocumented migrants here in Ireland are asking for the same consideration.

Undocumented migrant representatives addressed the committee this morning.

Priya, who is a Justice for the Undocumented (JFU) spokesperson, added:

We are the very same as the Irish undocumented in the United States, and we’re just asking for the same thing.

The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) is made up of over 1,500 undocumented migrants living in Ireland and the group is campaigning for the introduction of a regularisation scheme.

Research carried out by MRCI revealed that 1 in 5 undocumented migrants have lived in Ireland for more than 10 years, 89% are employed and 1 in 3 have been in the same job for more than five years.

It added that the regularisation proposal is endorsed by employer groups, trade unions, political parties and rights organisations.

Edel McGinley, MRCI Director, said, “A straightforward, transparent scheme would give people the opportunity to come forward and apply to regularise their immigration status.

The Irish government has supported similar proposals in the US over the years; continued inaction on the same issue here at home makes a mockery of their representations in the US.

“A regularisation scheme would generate twelve times times more in immigration fees alone than it would cost to implement. This is a fair and pragmatic response to an urgent issue.”