The Immigrant Council of Ireland released a new report yesterday, Living in Limbo - Migrant's Experience of Applying for Naturalisation in Ireland.
The report examines the experience of 315 migrants from more than 60 countries and calls for urgent reform as unfortunately, as is the case with many areas of immigration law and related policy, naturalisation can be a complicated and at times unjust process.
Interestingly, the research shows that many migrants applied for citizenship to secure a permanent immigration status. Addressing this point, yesterday's press release quotes NASC chief executive Fiona Finn:
Citizenship should not be perceived as the only viable means of overcoming the stress and strain of living on temporary residence permissions year after year.
Looking forward to delving into the report in detail.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Climate Wise Women
Women Leaders On Climate Justice: A Grassroots Perspective was jointly run this month by Oxfam Ireland and the Mary Robinson Foundation for Climate Justice in Trinity College.
The roughly 300 in attendance were treated to speeches from the inspiring Ursula Rakova (Executive Director of Tuele Piece) and Constance Okollet (Chairperson of the Osukura United Women Network). Part of the Climate Wise Women tour, they travel the globe to bring a first hand account of the effects of climate change to colleges, universities, businesses and communities and to foster discussion about climate justice and gender equality.
Read their stories here.
The roughly 300 in attendance were treated to speeches from the inspiring Ursula Rakova (Executive Director of Tuele Piece) and Constance Okollet (Chairperson of the Osukura United Women Network). Part of the Climate Wise Women tour, they travel the globe to bring a first hand account of the effects of climate change to colleges, universities, businesses and communities and to foster discussion about climate justice and gender equality.
Read their stories here.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Family Reunification in Ireland
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has recently voiced some much needed concern about the family reunification decision making process in Ireland.
Individuals in Ireland with refugee status have the right to apply for permission to have family members live with them in the state. Often it will be years before an individual can exercise this right due to the excessive length of time taken for refugee status to be granted in many cases and even then, the onerous requirements laid down by the Department of Justice make the process a complicated and drawn out affair.
Noting such problems the UNHCR has said it is:
...concerned at the length of the decision-making process, which is currently between 18 to 24 months for a decision on a family reunification application.
Hopefully, Irish authorities will seriously consider the recommendations made by the UNHCR, including:
...the strengthening of the family reunification process by reducing processing times, relaxing evidentiary and interpretation rules and by extending the national legal provisions on family reunification to resettled refugees.
Read the full report here.
Individuals in Ireland with refugee status have the right to apply for permission to have family members live with them in the state. Often it will be years before an individual can exercise this right due to the excessive length of time taken for refugee status to be granted in many cases and even then, the onerous requirements laid down by the Department of Justice make the process a complicated and drawn out affair.
Noting such problems the UNHCR has said it is:
...concerned at the length of the decision-making process, which is currently between 18 to 24 months for a decision on a family reunification application.
Hopefully, Irish authorities will seriously consider the recommendations made by the UNHCR, including:
...the strengthening of the family reunification process by reducing processing times, relaxing evidentiary and interpretation rules and by extending the national legal provisions on family reunification to resettled refugees.
Read the full report here.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Ireland, Tax and Development
A fantastic piece of work done on behalf of Oxfam Ireland, Trócaire, Afri, Christian Aid, Comhlámh and Debt and Development Coalition Ireland, was published today entitled Driving the Getaway Car? Ireland Tax and Development.
Read the full publication here and see the press release below:
Poor countries are being robbed of tax revenue and Ireland is not doing enough to stop the theft, according to 6 leading global development organisations. At a Dublin launch of a new book on the issue, ‘Driving the Getaway Car? Ireland, Tax and Development’, written on behalf of the organisations by Dr Sheila Killian of the University of Limerick, the organisations demanded that Ireland act urgently for global tax justice.
‘Driving the Getaway Car?' explains how impoverished countries lose billions of euro through weak domestic tax collection capacities and through unjust international tax structures. Transfer pricing abuse is highlighted as a particular area of concern. This is when subsidiaries of the same multi-national company artificially set the prices of goods and services in order to minimise their tax bills, often through the use of secrecy jurisdictions, popularly known as tax havens. This illegal practice is very difficult to monitor and costs impoverished countries billions in lost tax revenue.
Nessa Ní Chasaide of Debt and Development Coalition commented, “Dr Killian’s important new research demonstrates that impoverished countries are being stripped of billions of euro every year due to an unjust and elaborate international system that enables tax avoidance and evasion. Our message to the Irish government is that impoverished countries are clearly being robbed, and it needs to ensure Ireland doesn’t become the getaway car.
Author of the newly published book, Dr Sheila Killian, highlighted the fact that “Ireland’s tax model clearly does not do enough to protect vulnerable countries from tax revenue losses. Specifically, Ireland should adjust its transfer pricing regime to properly protect impoverished countries from losing tax revenue, and close domestic tax loopholes that may facilitate capital flight from impoverished countries“.
Colin Roche of Oxfam Ireland commented, “Impoverished countries should be supported in protecting desperately needed tax revenue that is rightfully theirs. In particular, multi-national companies must become more transparent in their financial reporting. We call on the Irish government to support the creation of a new financial reporting standard that requires multinational companies to report on their profits and taxes on a ‘country-by-country’ basis. This would provide vulnerable countries with an important new tool to expose tax evasion.”
Read the full publication here and see the press release below:
Poor countries are being robbed of tax revenue and Ireland is not doing enough to stop the theft, according to 6 leading global development organisations. At a Dublin launch of a new book on the issue, ‘Driving the Getaway Car? Ireland, Tax and Development’, written on behalf of the organisations by Dr Sheila Killian of the University of Limerick, the organisations demanded that Ireland act urgently for global tax justice.
‘Driving the Getaway Car?' explains how impoverished countries lose billions of euro through weak domestic tax collection capacities and through unjust international tax structures. Transfer pricing abuse is highlighted as a particular area of concern. This is when subsidiaries of the same multi-national company artificially set the prices of goods and services in order to minimise their tax bills, often through the use of secrecy jurisdictions, popularly known as tax havens. This illegal practice is very difficult to monitor and costs impoverished countries billions in lost tax revenue.
Nessa Ní Chasaide of Debt and Development Coalition commented, “Dr Killian’s important new research demonstrates that impoverished countries are being stripped of billions of euro every year due to an unjust and elaborate international system that enables tax avoidance and evasion. Our message to the Irish government is that impoverished countries are clearly being robbed, and it needs to ensure Ireland doesn’t become the getaway car.
Author of the newly published book, Dr Sheila Killian, highlighted the fact that “Ireland’s tax model clearly does not do enough to protect vulnerable countries from tax revenue losses. Specifically, Ireland should adjust its transfer pricing regime to properly protect impoverished countries from losing tax revenue, and close domestic tax loopholes that may facilitate capital flight from impoverished countries“.
Colin Roche of Oxfam Ireland commented, “Impoverished countries should be supported in protecting desperately needed tax revenue that is rightfully theirs. In particular, multi-national companies must become more transparent in their financial reporting. We call on the Irish government to support the creation of a new financial reporting standard that requires multinational companies to report on their profits and taxes on a ‘country-by-country’ basis. This would provide vulnerable countries with an important new tool to expose tax evasion.”
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Your Rights, Right Now
In October, Ireland will be examined for the first time by the United Nations on our human rights record under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
To ensure a robust examination takes place, the Your Rights, Right Now campaign report will be submitted this month to the United Nations Working Group of the UPR.
Individuals and organisations can visit the campaign website and show their support for the great work done by 17 leading organisations in Ireland in compiling this piece of work.
The UPR process is about ensuring real change happens on the ground and human rights protection is verifiably improved.
To ensure a robust examination takes place, the Your Rights, Right Now campaign report will be submitted this month to the United Nations Working Group of the UPR.
Individuals and organisations can visit the campaign website and show their support for the great work done by 17 leading organisations in Ireland in compiling this piece of work.
The UPR process is about ensuring real change happens on the ground and human rights protection is verifiably improved.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
International Women's Day
The 100th anniversary of International Women's Day is celebrated today with millions of people around the world expected to mark the progress made in women's rights since 1911.
Despite the achievements, women are still denied basic rights in many parts of the world and this is a direct cause of global poverty. International issues ranging from climate change to food justice can only be adequately tackled if the rights and role of women is secured at the very core of any action taken.
However, today is about celebration so it is worth remembering the achievements to date. Take a look at this very brief examination of the last 100 years released by UNWomen earlier this year:
Despite the achievements, women are still denied basic rights in many parts of the world and this is a direct cause of global poverty. International issues ranging from climate change to food justice can only be adequately tackled if the rights and role of women is secured at the very core of any action taken.
However, today is about celebration so it is worth remembering the achievements to date. Take a look at this very brief examination of the last 100 years released by UNWomen earlier this year:
Monday, March 7, 2011
Programme for Government 2011
After 6 days of negotiations, here's what the new coalition partners-to-be have presented the public with:
Programme for Government
Programme for Government
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