Study finds 85% of undocumented migrants working

THE first comprehensive study about the estimated 30,000 undocumented migrants living in Ireland has revealed 85% are working, but many families live on less than €300 a week.

Migrants living and working in Ireland come from at least 75 different countries including the Philippines, China, Ukraine, Pakistan, Brazil, Bangladesh and South Africa. Almost 17% are from the Philippines, 14% from China and 8% from the Ukraine.

Contrary to popular belief, the data shows that the undocumented migrant population is not made up of young single men, but tends to be older, with significant numbers of women and large numbers of families with children who have been settled in Ireland for several years.