Press Release The Immigrant Council of Ireland publishes its Impact Report for 2024
Press Release: The Immigrant Council of Ireland publishes its Impact Report for 2024
20.11.2025 – The Immigrant Council of Ireland has today published its Impact Report for 2024, highlighting the organisation’s achievements and the work carried out to support and empower migrants living in Ireland.
In 2024, the Immigrant Council provided support to migrants and their families through our Helpline. Our staff answered over 4,000 calls from people seeking answers on their or their family members’ rights as migrants. This number only reflects a small proportion of the total calls received, highlighting the importance of the service and the strain on staff to respond. The top queries throughout the year focused on:
- Citizenship: 769
- Family reunification: 657
- Registration/renewal: 538
- Rights of EU citizens: 420
While citizenship has always been a main issue for callers, 2024 saw a marked increase on previous years, due to the introduction of the online portal by the Department of Justice, which created huge challenges for people trying to register or renew their permits.
Our Law Centre also assisted 17 victims of trafficking in 2024, and we continue to prioritise supporting other organisations in recognising the indicators of human trafficking. We also saw 117 cases of unaccompanied minors referred to our services through our Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) Ireland project, representing an 89% increase in demand for support.
With 2024 being an exceptionally busy year in Irish politics, our integration team sought to empower migrants around the country, through education about voting rights and supporting migrant candidates in the Local Elections. We also saw the continued growth and interest in our Migrant Leadership Academy, with 16 participants from 9 countries, our Migrant-TD programme, and our National Integration Conference which brought together over 200 national and international experts, activists, and allies.
Our anti-racism and intercultural awareness programmes also continued to grow in 2024. Show Racism the Red Card, which entered its 4th year under the direction of the Immigrant Council, reached over 500 children through workshops across Ireland focused on combating racism and celebrating diversity.
Elsewhere, we provided over 70 Intercultural Awareness trainings and 10 Anti-Trafficking/gender-based violence Trainings, helping to support others in building a safer and more inclusive Ireland.
Commenting on the report, CEO Teresa Buczkowska said: “In recent years, it seems that our attitude towards migration has become increasingly tainted by fear. Yet despite the actions and words of a few intended to instil a fear of newcomers within Irish society, we can see daily a commitment by the majority of people in Ireland to address that fear by fostering understanding, collaboration, and inclusion. In 2024, we at the Immigrant Council supported migrants and their families in achieving their rights and ensuring they can be part of the solution to the challenges we all face.”
Teresa also highlighted the human stories behind the statistics, saying: “Beyond the headlines, there are people with stories of migration that began with hope but ended in hardship, leaving them in fear for their future. Our Impact Report for 2024 is a window into the work that goes into ensuring the stories of migration are not stripped of hope. We at the Immigrant Council will continue our work to create an Ireland free from fear, where everyone, including migrants, has the opportunity to fulfil their potential to the benefit of all.”
The 2024 Impact Report can be read in full here.
ENDS
Contact: Aisling Redden, Communications Officer, Immigrant Council of Ireland, communications@immigrantcouncil.ie / 01 645 8045
Notes to the Editor
Media Interviews
- Teresa Buczkowska, CEO of the Immigrant Council of Ireland, is available for comment.
About the Immigrant Council
The Immigrant Council of Ireland is the leading national human rights organisation working to defend migrant rights in Ireland. It provides free immigration advice and legal support through its helpline and law centre, as well as campaigning for immigration reform. The Council also provides support to victims of human trafficking and provides opportunities for migrants to connect with each other and their communities. Visit www.immigrantcouncil.ie for more information.