Red tape hampers immigrants’ citizenship uptake

Ireland has one of Europe’s lowest rates of granting citizenship to immigrants due to the convoluted process which applicants must go through, research has found.

The study by the Immigrant Council of Ireland, which will be published today, shows 13% of immigrants here have become citizens compared to an average of 34% in all countries researched. Only Luxembourg has a lower rate than Ireland.

The Immigrant Council said several barriers to citizenship have been identified. Its senior solicitor, Hilkka Becker, said: “This research, which we undertook with the Migration Policy Group in Brussels, shows that despite recent improvements the path to citizenship remains difficult and beyond reach for many people.