Emma Quinn

The Impact of Immigration

Migration has been important for Ireland since the nineteenth century. For most of that time, migratory flows have been outward but occasional bouts of return migration have also occurred. It is only since the exceptional economic growth of the past decade that we have seen large and sustained inflows and that non-Irish immigrants have come to outnumber returning Irish migrants. Our purpose in this chapter is to assess the significance of this new era of inward migration. People are now clamouring to get into Ireland rather than rushing to leave it and that in itself is a powerful indicator of how much more attractive a society Ireland now is compared to the past. However, if we look deeper, a number of questions arise about what new migration patterns mean and what their impact will be. These questions concern the economic and social impact of immigration as well as the challenge of integrating the new Irish. The chapter begins with a review of recent trends in migration, and tracks the change from a pattern of emigration to one of immigration. A notable feature of present immigration is that it comes primarily from within the EU and so is less racially, culturally and religiously heterogeneous than that experienced by other immigrant societies. We then turn to the economic impact of immigration on the economy, focusing in particular on the labour market. This is followed by a discussion of the social impact of immigration, focusing on public services as well as the attitudes of the indigenous population towards immigrants. We then examine new survey data on immigrants’ experiences of racism and discrimination in Ireland. The conclusion discusses the need for a coherent policy for integration of migrants into Irish society as an essential requirement for the successful management of immigration.

Policy Responses to Unaccompanied Minors in Ireland

An “unaccompanied minor” is defined as a person below the age of eighteen who arrives in a country “…unaccompanied by an adult who is responsible for them whether by law or custom”. They may also be referred to as separated children although in the current research this term is taken to refer to a broader group. Available data indicate that the number of unaccompanied minors arriving in Ireland increased significantly during the 1990s and peaked in 2001 before falling off quite steadily. This trend is in line with general non-EU immigration to the Republic of Ireland. While the number of unaccompanied minors referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) has declined in recent years, they are still a significant group with very specific and critical needs as demonstrated later on in the chapter. This chapter provides an overview of the number of unaccompanied minors who have arrived in Ireland in recent years and explores why such potentially high-risk migration takes place. This is followed by a discussion of the response of the Irish State. Furthermore, it will be shown that State policy has evolved in a piecemeal manner, with a high level of discretion still in evidence at local level, particularly regarding HSE care provision. The particular issues of age assessment, asylum, legal immigration status and return of unaccompanied minors will be discussed in the subsequent section. The chapter also touches upon a conflict between an unaccompanied minor as a protection applicant or person of otherwise undefined legal (immigration) status, versus a minor who should invoke the ‘best interests’ of the child principle. This chapter specifically focuses on the experience and expertise of service providers, while many of the existing studies in the area consist of primary research with unaccompanied minors.