ICI News Bulletin - Issue 80

Thursday, 16 December 2010

1. Christmas good news stories 

2. ICI project highlighted by European Programme for Integration and Migration

3. ICI to celebrate International Migrants’ Day with clients 

4. Briefing for ambassadors to highlight ICI service user statistics 

5. Budget slashes funding to immigration and integration services 

6. European Court judgement vindicates the ICI’s position on marriage restrictions  

7. Ireland is party to the new European Parliament measures against human trafficking

8. Trade union launches education initiative on human trafficking 

9. Irish Countrywomen’s Association declares support for national campaign against demand for prostitution 

10. 20 braved the snow to attend citizenship information session in Longford

11. ICI examines Ireland’s compliance with UN human rights pledges  

12. NGOs to prepare shadow report on Ireland’s compliance with UN Convention against Torture 

13. NGO Alliance Against Racism raises concerns with UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 

14. Staff News 

Christmas good news stories

As the year draws to a close, we’d like to share two recent good news stories that involve ICI clients. 

A client, a migrant woman who experienced domestic violence, was granted a renewal of her residency status on an independent basis this week. The client, who was subjected to violence at the hands of her Irish citizen husband, made an application for a renewal of her status on an independent basis on November 22 and received a positive response on December 14, after less than four weeks’ processing time. The timely response of the Department of Justice and Law Reform to a vulnerable client is very positive.   The ICI has been campaigning for migrant women who experience domestic violence, and whose immigration status is dependent on a violent partner, to be able to be granted independent status.

We were also very pleased to receive the news that four children of an ICI client recently became Irish citizens after a wait of 16 months for their applications to be processed.  Unfortunately, the children’s mother was deported from Ireland in April, accompanied by two Irish children, when her application for a residence permit was refused. Her residence permit was refused due to State concerns about her “irregular immigration history”.  She had technically overstayed her lawful entry permission for two weeks before applying for a residence permit.   This case highlights the illogicality of Ireland’s approach to immigration and the family life of migrants. The ICI will continue to campaign in 2011 for reform on this issue. 

 

ICI project highlighted by European Programme for Integration and Migration

The ICI’s Pathways to Parental Leadership project is one of five projects featured in a European Programme for Integration and Migration (EPIM) publication of integration project case studies. EPIM is an initiative of the Network of European Foundations and seeks to improve the lives of legally resident and undocumented migrants by strengthening the role played by NGOs active on migration and integration issues. The case studies can be accessed at:  http://www.epim.info/docs/documents/EPIM%20Case%20Studies%202010%20-%20web%20version.pdf.  

The ICI project, which is funded by EPIM, involves the creation of a toolkit to help overcome barriers to migrant parents’ involvement in their children’s school lives. Piloting of the toolkit began in five participating schools (Mater Dei in Dublin 8; Castleknock Community College; Holy Rosary school in Tallaght; St George's in Balbriggan; and Castaheany Educate Together in Ongar) in September 2010. After the pilot period, it is hoped that the toolkit will be launched next year. For more information, please contact Research Intern Geoff McEvoy – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

 

ICI to celebrate International Migrants’ Day with clients 

The ICI will hold a coffee morning with clients to celebrate International Migrants’ Day on Saturday (December 18). The event will also serve as a celebration of the successes of the organisation and our clients.

The event is open to all ICI clients. If you wish to attend or for more information, please contact PA to the Chief Executive Saorlaith Ní Bhroin - 01-674 0202 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

 

Briefing for ambassadors to highlight ICI service user statistics 

The ICI will hold a briefing for ambassadors tomorrow (Friday, December 17) in Buswell’s Hotel to highlight the issues faced by migrants in Ireland. The briefing will also allow us to share information on the ICI’s database trends for 2010 with the ambassadors. There will be an opportunity to discuss these statistics with embassy staff and for the ICI to learn of any issues which the relevant embassies consider most pressing for their citizens.

The number of migrants accessing our services puts the ICI in a unique position to detail the issues faced by them on a range of issues from family reunification to work permits to citizenship and long-term residency applications.  

 

Budget slashes funding to immigration and integration services 

The 2011 Budget contained funding cuts to number of services and agencies which deal with immigration and equality issues.

Funding to the Office of the Minister for Integration has been cut by 22 per cent, while the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service’s budget has been cut by 21 per cent. The Government has cut funding to the Equality Authority by 4 per cent and the Irish Human Rights Commission by 5 per cent. The Equality Tribunal’s budget was increased by 9 per cent. 

 

European Court judgement vindicates the ICI’s position on marriage restrictions 

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) gave judgment this week in a case concerning UK immigration law seeking to prevent marriages of convenience. The court held that there had been a violation of Article 12 (right to marry) and of Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) in conjunction with Articles 9 (freedom of religion) and 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The case was brought after a couple was refused permission to marry on the basis of a Certificate of Approval Scheme requiring persons subject to immigration control to pay a fee in order to marry in a church other than a Church of England. 

The ICI and the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission made third-party submissions to the ECtHR. The ICI was concerned that the UK legislation, and similar provisions proposed in Ireland at the time in the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2008, interfered disproportionately with the right to marry. The ICI submission dealt with the protection of the right to marry in Irish constitutional law, the protection of the right to marry in other common law jurisdictions, the protection of the right to marry under the ECHR, the issue of proportionality and marriage restrictions as an obstacle to the free movement of persons within the EU. 

The judgment can be accessed here: http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view.asp?action=html&documentId=878631&portal=hbkm&source=externalbydocnumber&table=F69A27FD8FB86142BF01C1166DEA398649 For more information, please contact Senior Solicitor Hilkka Becker – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

 

Ireland is party to the new European Parliament measures against human trafficking

The European Parliament voted to endorse a new Directive on Human Trafficking this week. The Directive repeals the 2002 Framework Decision on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and is essentially the first piece of criminal law adopted since the Lisbon treaty was introduced. By opting-in to this Directive, Ireland has undertaken to improve measures to protect victims of human trafficking as well as to create a more hostile environment for traffickers. 

The ICI welcomes the new Directive, in particular the decision to grant assistance to victims of trafficking “before, during and for an appropriate time after criminal proceedings”, regardless of the victim's willingness to act as a witness, which has always been the ICI’s position. We further welcome the expansion of the definition of the crime of human trafficking to include illegal adoptions and forced marriages.

EU member states have two years to implement the revised rules on human trafficking contained in the Directive. For more information, please contact Anti-Trafficking Coordinator Nusha Yonkova – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

 

Trade union launches education initiative on human trafficking 

Unite, one of the country’s largest trade unions, recently launched a major education initiative on human trafficking. The ICI contributed to a leaflet produced by Unite which is designed to educate and alert union members to the dangers of trafficking. The ICI’s contribution focused on the findings of its 2009 research “Globalisation, Sex Trafficking and Prostitution: The Experiences of Migrant Women in Ireland.”  

At the launch of the leaflet, ICI Anti-Trafficking Coordinator Nusha Yonkova spoke about issues relating to sex trafficking in Ireland.  Nusha welcomed the unanimous support offered by Irish Congress of Trade Union women at their all-Ireland annual conference earlier this year in Belfast for the upcoming national campaign for action to tackle demand for prostitution and the services of women who have been trafficked. For more information, please contact Nusha – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

 

Irish Countrywomen’s Association declares support for national campaign against demand for prostitution 

Anti-Trafficking Coordinator Nusha Yonkova addressed the Irish Countrywomen’s Association’s (ICA) regional conference in Cavan last month. Nusha spoke about human trafficking in Ireland and the issues facing migrant women in the Irish sex industry. Nusha highlighted the findings of the ICI’s research “Globalisation, Sex Trafficking and Prostitution: The Experiences of Migrant Women in Ireland” and the upcoming national campaign against demand for prostitution. The ICA formally declared its support for the campaign. 

More than 250 members of the ICA attended the conference. For more information, please contact Nusha – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

20 braved the snow to attend citizenship information session in Longford

Information and Referral Service Coordinator Brian Killoran delivered an information session on citizenship application processes to migrants and representatives of community organisations in Longford early last week.  The ICI is undertaking the sessions as part of our lobbying and information campaign on the citizenship process.

The session focused on the application process, eligibility criteria, next steps if citizenship is granted and, of huge relevance currently, the difficulties encountered by those whose application has been refused. Many of those present expressed frustration and concern that the economic situation in the State, with the high level of job insecurity, may have a detrimental impact on their applications. The view was expressed by many that the Minister for Justice and Law Reform must take into account the current economic situation and view an individual’s contribution to Ireland holistically, and not just in terms of present employment opportunities. The session was organised by Longford Community Resources Ltd.  For more information, please contact Brian – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

ICI examines Ireland’s compliance with UN human rights pledges  

Senior Solicitor Hilkka Becker made submissions to the Department of Foreign Affairs’ annual NGO Forum on Human Rights last week. This year’s forum focussed on Ireland’s scheduled examination next year under the Universal Periodic Review mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council. The submissions focused on Ireland’s lack of compliance with the UN’s International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.  

The two submissions highlighted lack of compliance with the covenants in relation to Ireland’s treatment of migrants and victims of trafficking.  At a workshop at the forum, Hilkka spoke about the ICI’s concerns in relation to the introduction of summary removal of migrants if the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill is passed and the refusals to issue residence permits to the parents of Irish citizen children.  The submissions can be found on our website - http://immigrantcouncil.ie/submissions-policy-papers-and-analyses/2009-2010. For more information, please contact Hilkka – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

 

NGOs to prepare shadow report on Ireland’s compliance with UN Convention against Torture 

Senior Solicitor Catherine Cosgrave attended a meeting hosted by the Irish Human Rights Commission this week for organisations intending to prepare a joint NGO shadow report for the UN Committee against Torture. The shadow report will be prepared by NGOs to highlight areas where Ireland fails to comply with the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UN CAT). 

The shadow report will be co-ordinated by the Irish Penal Reform Trust and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. The ICI will contribute information on key immigration-related issues, including gender-based violence, human trafficking, immigration-related detention and racism in prisons.

Ireland signed the UN CAT in 1992, and ratified it in 2002.  In July 2009, the Irish Government submitted its first national report under the UN CAT. The Committee will examine Ireland's first report in May 2011. The Irish report is available to read here: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/docs/AdvanceVersions/CAT-C-IRL1.doc  For more information, please contact Catherine – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

 

NGO Alliance Against Racism raises concerns with UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 

In December 2009, the Irish Government submitted its combined third and fourth report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).  The report will be considered by CERD in 2011 and is available to read here: http://www.integration.ie/website/omi/omiwebv6.nsf/page/AXBN-7ZLJ9Z13515711-en/$File/Combined%20Third%20and%20Fourth%20Report%20to%20the%20UNCERD%20Committee%20latest.pdf  
The NGO Alliance Against Racism (NAAR) is currently finalising a Shadow Report for submission to CERD. In the meantime, NAAR  submitted a “List of Issues” to CERD last week highlighting principal concerns relating to Ireland's obligations under the Convention. Principal concerns include the refusal of the Irish Government to incorporate the UN Convention in domestic law, the failure to amend the criminal law to allow for a more severe punishment for offences committed with a racist motivation and the disproportionate funding cuts to Ireland's human rights and anti-discrimination infrastructure. 

The ICI is a member of the NAAR steering and editorial committees and has endorsed the submission. For more information, please contact Senior Solicitor Catherine Cosgrave – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

 

Staff News

Integration Manager Fidèle Mutwarasibo was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Sociology at a graduation ceremony hosted by University College Dublin this week.  Fidèle’s thesis is entitled “(New) Migrant Political Entrepreneurs: Overcoming Isolation and Exclusion through Creative Resistance in Ireland” and examines the barriers to inclusion of migrants in Irish politics. Congratulations to Fidèle from all at the ICI.  

 

The ICI wishes all our News Bulletin readers a very happy and safe festive season.  Our next edition will be in late January.