Call for special visa to help immigrants

MIGRANT rights campaigners are to meet Justice Minister Brian Lenihan next month and will call for a special ‘Bridging Visa’ to be introduced to help workers who are undocumented.

The Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland (MRCI) yesterday launched a renewed campaign for the visa proposal, which it says would allow undocumented migrants to regularise their status here.

The MRCI said it dealt with between 60 and 70 undocumented workers at any one time. Many come to them because they were being exploited by their employer, who had exerted control over them because of the terms of the current work permit system.