ICI News Bulletin - Issue 1

Thursday, 23 August 2007

1. Welcome to the first edition of the ICI News Bulletin
2. Roundtable on English and Introductory Programmes for Migrants in Ireland
3. Integration Taskforce
4. Research Project – trafficking of women and children into Ireland for the purposes of sexual exploitation
5. The Global Forum on Migration and Development – recommendations
6. ICI training update
7. Immigrant Information Network to meet again with GNIB

Welcome to the first edition of the ICI News Bulletin
We hope you enjoy the first edition of the Immigrant Council of Ireland’s News Bulletin.  We will be providing regular updates on issues arising from our Information and Support Service, as well as news about upcoming events, training, research, publications and legal issues.

If you wish to provide feedback about the items contained in this bulletin, please contact Ruth Evans at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Roundtable on English and Introductory Programmes for Migrants in Ireland
The ICI has received a strong response to invitations to our Roundtable on Introductory and Language Programmes for Migrants in Ireland, which will be held at the Morrison Hotel, Ormond Quay, on September 11.

Minister of State for Integration Policy, Mr Conor Lenihan TD, will speak at the event and officially launch our research document, “On Speaking Terms”.

The ICI has been lobbying for the provision of introductory and English language courses for migrants for some time and commissioned this research after our work with migrants revealed high motivation to learn the language but inadequate provision of appropriate courses.

The ICI has submitted the research to the Government’s current review into provision of language programmes for adult migrants in Ireland.

The report’s author, Dr Claire Healy, will present her research and findings at the roundtable.  In addition, Ms Rhona Hodgart, from Anniesland College, Glasgow, and Ms Anne Gallagher, from NUI Maynooth, will give presentations.

If you would like to be included on the mailing list for a copy of “On Speaking Terms”, which will distributed on September 11, please contact Ruth Evans at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Integration Taskforce
ICI founder and board member Sr Stan Kennedy has called on the Government to ensure its Integration Taskforce – the establishment of which was announced by Mr Lenihan recently – has a broadly based membership, comprising representatives from immigrant communities, the NGO sector and the social partners.

Sr Stan welcomed the Government’s announcement that it would establish the taskforce and said its priorities should be the development of a national integration policy and securing an adequate budget to ensure it can be properly implemented.

“The integration policy should cover issues such as a national programme of English language courses, access to employment, housing, health and education and should also look at existing barriers to integration, such as policies which keep families apart,” she said.

Research Project – trafficking of women and children into Ireland
The closing date for tenders for the ICI’s research project on the trafficking of women and children into Ireland for the purposes of sexual exploitation is next Tuesday, August 28.

The Religious Sisters of Charity have provided the funding for the 12-month research project which will examine the extent, causes and responses to trafficking of women and children into Ireland.

The research project is to include a mapping exercise of the sex industry in Ireland, examination of protection and provision of services to victims, responses from agencies such as NGOs, the Gardai and immigration officials, identification of victims’ countries of origin and countries of transit and responses to perpetrators.

The Global Forum on Migration and Development – recommendations
ICI Research and Integration Officer Fidele Mutwarasibo attended the Civil Society Day of the inaugural Global Forum on Migration and Development in Brussels in July – the only representative of an Irish NGO at that forum.

The forum had two broad priorities:  migration and socio-economic development; and finding the best ways to strengthen the links between migration policies and development policies. It followed a United Nations High Level Dialogue on migration and development in 2006.

Fidele has received the recommendations from the event and is happy to forward these to interested parties.  For further information, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

ICI training update
ICI Education and Training Officer Gill Kennedy recently conducted a one-day training workshop for staff at the Clare Immigrant Support Centre.

The workshop included an overview of immigration issues in Ireland, focussing particularly on issues such as changes to legislation relating to work permits and EU Treaty rights and the impact of the Government’s decision affecting non-EU citizen spouses of EU citizens.

A follow-up one-day workshop will be held in early September.
For information about ICI’s training work, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Immigrant Information Network to meet with GNIB
The Immigrant Information Network – comprising representatives from the ICI, Emigrant Advice, Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, NASC and Galway Migrant Services – will meet with senior officials from the Garda National Immigration Bureau on September 7.

The network had a productive first meeting with the GNIB in June to discuss issues raised by service users and is pleased to be continuing the meetings on a regular basis.

Issues raised at the first meeting included:
• a general overview of the structure and lines of authority of the GNIB
• communication of information and customer service at the GNIB
• the nature and scope of the GNIB’s discretionary power
• procedures and practices at point of entry.

In addition, each representative gave an overview of the services provided by their organisation.