Gombeen immigration policy mean-spirited to non-EU migrants

[patslatt]

Just listening to Newstalk's panel discussion on migrants' applications for residence. Clearly,our immigration policy is gombeen mean-spirited as around half of migrants are denied permission to stay compared to about 9% in the UK and 3% in Canada. Often,these people have worked here for years and have children in school. The system for judging applications is opaque and the reasons given for denials are often trivial. Many migrants are well educated but that makes no difference in many cases.

Does this mean-spirited policy reflect the wishes of Irish people. If so,we're in bigger trouble as a society than many think.

[Clanrickard]

Just listening to Newstalk's panel discussion on migrants' applications for residence. Clearly,our immigration policy is gombeen mean-spirited as around half of migrants are denied permission to stay compared to about 9% in the UK and 3% in Canada. Often,these people have worked here for years and have children in school. The system for judging applications is opaque and the reasons given for denials are often trivial. Many migrants are well educated but that makes no difference in many cases.

Does this mean-spirited policy reflect the wishes of Irish people. If so,we're in bigger trouble as a society than many think.

A local guy is married to an Indian girl and they have 2 kids. Her mother has been applying for a two week visa to come and see them for the last 5 years and has been refused constantly. No reason given. They have been to see lawyers, councilors and TDs and no luck. Both work from home for American multinationals. Both are very well paid. They are seriously considering immigrating to Canada. If you are going to build a "smart" economy you need smart well educated people. Any of them that marry non-EU citizens (and many do as they tend to travel) will be put off staying here to the detriment of this country.

It should not be that difficult to discern between hard working educated non_EU citizens determined to make a better life and economic migrants here on the make.

[FutureTaoiseach]

I didn't hear it. But the govt are correct. Charity begins at home, and Irish people need those jobs. 500 million EU citizens are more than sufficient to address labour-shortages - and if anything, there are far fewer of those than their were. Ireland doesn't owe any non-EEA national a living. We were never a colonial-power. Those who choose to marry non-EEA citizens knew this could happen. 'Mean-spirited' my foot. We deported 400 last year compared to 64,000 from the UK, and unlike many EU states like the UK, France, Holland etc., we don't detain asylum-seekers. In the whollistic-sense, we have the most liberal system on the planet. Typical of the handwringing of the Dublin 4 Left-Liberals who hand down their propaganda to the Newstalk studios.

[Telemachus]

Its not 'mean' enough if half are granted permission to stay. There are hundreds of millions of people who would give their right arm to settle here. Do you have some idea in mind of how many people immigrating is too much?

Granting Visas to genuine sposes is one thing, if liam egan can bring his yemani wife here, i dont see how they can refuse the Visa to that indian woman.

[sondagefaux]

Those who choose to marry non-EEA citizens knew this could happen. 'Mean-spirited' my foot.

And the award for the most mean-spirited post of the week goes to...

Typical of the handwringing of the Dublin 4 Left-Liberals who hand down their propaganda to the Newstalk studios.

I'm not from Dublin 4. I don't do handwringing. I'm neither left nor right - I'm a pragmatist. So enough of the ******************************g boring repetitive clichés please.

[evercloserunion]

I didn't hear it. But the govt are correct. Charity begins at home, and Irish people need those jobs. 500 million EU citizens are more than sufficient to address labour-shortages - and if anything, there are far fewer of those than their were. Ireland doesn't owe any non-EEA national a living. We were never a colonial-power. Those who choose to marry non-EEA citizens knew this could happen. 'Mean-spirited' my foot. We deported 400 last year compared to 64,000 from the UK, and unlike many EU states like the UK, France, Holland etc., we don't detain asylum-seekers. In the whollistic-sense, we have the most liberal system on the planet. Typical of the handwringing of the Dublin 4 Left-Liberals who hand down their propaganda to the Newstalk studios.

Mingle with foreigners and face the consequences!

[Chi019]

Ireland doesn't owe any non-EEA national a living. We were never a colonial-power.

Even if it was, it wouldn't owe any non-EEA national a living.

[FutureTaoiseach]

Mingle with foreigners and face the consequences!

You have a talent for distorting my comments. I have nothing against foreigners but the country is in deep economic trouble and its capacity for generosity is not what it was. Self-preservation must be the over-riding consideration. We are not a charity.

[sondagefaux]

You have a talent for distorting my comments. I have nothing against foreigners but the country is in deep economic trouble and its capacity for generosity is not what it was. Self-preservation must be the over-riding consideration. We are not a charity.

Self-preservation? Charity? Nobody's trying to destroy Ireland, nobody's looking for handouts. They just want to be able to visit their families.

[FutureTaoiseach]

Self-preservation? Charity? Nobody's trying to destroy Ireland, nobody's looking for handouts. They just want to be able to visit their families.

I don't recall using the word "destroy" though I must make allowances for the reading-ability of less discerning posters like you who seem to imagine otherwise. You evidently have a very elastic relationship with the meaning of the English language and the inference to be drawn from its constituent words. Anyway - of course they can visit their families in their home-countries. And intention and consequence are not the same thing. I am not accusing migrants of ill-will towards us (except those linked to the Al Qaida murder plot and a minority involved in asylum/sw scams). I am just saying that the preservation of Irish jobs depends in part on restricting competition in the Irish labour-market.