Protect foreign workers, urges group

IMMIGRANT support campaigners have called for the introduction of cut-price work permits for employers who only use officially recognised recruitment agencies when taking on foreign workers.

The idea is one of a range of initiatives proposed by the Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI) to tighten regulation of migrant work permits and protect the 40,000 workers who come here each year under the scheme.

The ICI yesterday warned Ireland was in danger of creating a subculture of undocumented foreign workers unless there were urgent and major changes to employment and immigration law.