Immigration group seeks citizenship referendum

The Immigration Control Platform has urged the Government to hold a referendum to prevent the children of asylum seekers from securing automatic Irish citizenship.

The ICP said such a referendum could be held alongside the re-run of the Nice Treaty vote later this year.

Article 2 of the Irish Constitution currently gives all people born in Ireland the right to citizenship.

However, the ICP wants this changed so that children born in Ireland would only be granted citizenship if at least one of their parents was a citizen of Ireland at the time of the birth.