Migration red tape slows recovery

Multinational companies are calling on the Government to ease restrictions on immigration to fill skills gaps and boost growth in IT, science, and engineering sectors.

Companies in Ireland and abroad are finding it increasingly challenging to have a mobile workforce because of tightening immigration controls.

With fears of rising unemployment, countries are implementing more rigid immigration systems and making it more difficult for skilled workers to move with ease to other countries.

For many organisations, trying to navigate visa and employment permit processes in some countries can be a barrier to relocating employees, and this can have a knock-on effect on job creation.

Aoife Kilmurray, human resources reward manager at PwC, said: “Ireland has a shortage of skilled workers in the IT, science and engineering areas so we need to look outside the country to plug the skills gap.”

Many countries, including Ireland, continue to require overseas workers to fill specific skills gaps, but an increasingly bureaucratic immigration system can be seen to impede this and deter investment.

“There needs to be a balancing act between boosting the skills pipeline and retaining Ireland’s attractiveness,” said Ms Kilmurray. “There is a three-prong approach to filling this gap; upskilling the current workforce, boosting the supply of third levels in these areas; and bringing in qualified overseas workers needed for these jobs.

“What we have found is that companies don’t know how to navigate the area of immigration. There is a general lack of knowledge as to how to bring people in. In Ireland, there are three different departments that deal with immigration so companies don’t know where to turn.”

The tightening of immigration control doesn’t just affect skilled workers coming into Ireland. It can be equally challenging for Irish people leaving the country to work abroad.

The Forfás Export Group on Future Skills Needs published findings in January indicating that immigration will continue to be required, especially of those with experience, to help bridge the anticipated ICT skills gap.

The report estimates that migrants currently represent 55% of high-level ICT skills in Ireland.

Continued inward migration is needed, but it appears the priority for the future is to increase the domestic supply.

The list of eligible occupations under the green card scheme has been scaled back several times recently in response to changes in skills shortages in Ireland.

PwC say it can be difficult for organisations to remain up to date with constant changes to global immigration processes and legislation, and so find it hard to ensure its staff can be globally mobile.

Global sales executive at IBM, Denis Collins, stresses that the immigration issue is not simply a case of getting visas and filling jobs in the IT sector, but should be looked at in a wider context.

“The IT sector can fuel Ireland’s budget gap and we can do this over the short, medium and long term,” said Mr Collins. Bringing in skilled workers from overseas will decrease the budget gap, as these workers will be working, paying tax, living in Nama buildings, and from one job there could be up to another six created.

“The visas and work permits will fill the short-term needs of the country and open up Ireland as a premier global and European hub in IT,” he said. “It needs to be nurtured and cultivated and engineered to fuel other industries.”

In terms of SMEs struggling with immigration systems and the lack of skilled workers in this sector, Mr Collins said: “Businesses should use their networks, their local chamber of commerce, work with their peers and share resources.” Mr Collins aims to host a forum to discuss how the IT industry can reduce the budget gap.