Pressure on services as citizenship seekers face 8-year wait

THE soaring numbers of people seeking Irish citizenship is piling pressure on support services, with applications dragging on for more than two-and-a-half years.

Most applicants must have five years’ residency here before applying. On top of this, those seeking ‘naturalisation’ must wait on average an additional two-and-a-half years while applications are processed.

Immigrant support services say applicants are being left in limbo, like second- class citizens, with paperwork taking years to finish.

Some 17,000 people are currently awaiting citizenship. On average, each application takes 30 months.

This means foreigners intent on settling here, many who are professionals with families, must wait nearly eight years.

This is due to a “significant increase” in applications, Justice Minister Brian Lenihan replied to a recent Fine Gael parliamentary query.

In 2000, there were 1,004 applications for citizenship. This jumped to 7,030 last year and has already amounted to 5,791 by the end of September this year.

Currently, just 46 staff with the Department of Justice handle citizenship applications, which are growing by at least 20 a day.

The Immigrant Council of Ireland yesterday spoke of the disadvantages those on citizenship waiting lists face.

“The processing time now can be up to 36 months, approaching three years in some cases. If more letters come from Justice and they require more documents, it can go to three years,” said the council’s support service co-ordinator, Brian Killoran.

Citizenship issues are the second-highest query the council deals with, mainly coming from spouses of Irish residents, international students living here, those on work permits and those with long-term resident permits.

The majority of queries come from people with work permits from outside the EU, including from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Russia and areas of Asia, say the council.

Problems foreigners face while waiting years for applications to be processed include changing workplaces while on a permit.

“If somebody encounters a problem with an employer or they are in a position where they are being exploited, they’re not guaranteed of maintaining their status,” Mr Killoran said.

Others waiting years for applications to be completed include those seeking mortgages.

“Some banks make it harder and they prefer that somebody not only be a resident of the State but has citizenship also,” Mr Killoran said.

Concerns are also emerging for applicant parents whose children are nearly 18: “Basically, if a minor child turns 18 and a parent’s application hasn’t been processed yet, their right to citizenship then becomes much more difficult.”

Those awaiting citizenship are also excluded from voting in national elections.

Criticising the minister, Denis Naughten, FG, said yesterday: “These applicants include spouses of Irish citizens, professionals running their own companies who are securing long-term employment for Irish staff.”