Employment permits trap migrant workers in exploitative environments, hears committee 

MRCI director Edel McGinley told the committee workers recruited into essential jobs on general employment permits cannot freely change employers for five years, which leads to poor standards and exploitation. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Migrants at risk of exploitation must be better protected by changes to employment permits that currently tie the worker to the same employer for five years, an Oireachtas committee has heard.

Significant structural barriers exist for thousands of people coming to work through the employment permits system, Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) director Edel McGinley said. Some 40,000 employment permits were issued in 2022.

Migrant pay was 22% less per hour than Irish nationals last year on average, while net migration was 61,100 last April, Ms McGinley said.

Workers recruited into essential jobs on general employment permits cannot freely change employers until after 12 months if they find a new job which leads to poor standards and exploitation, she said.

It is also very hard for general permit holders to bring family here, and even if you can, there is no right for those family members to work. This is in stark contrast to workers on critical skills employment permits who can work in any job after two years, can bring their family immediately, and those family members have the right to work.

“Why, we ask, is a person who provides care for our loved ones or puts food on our tables treated differently to an IT developer/engineer?

“If we don’t act, we are going to create division and conflict in workplaces,” Ms McGinley warned.

Over the last 18 months, the Government extended general employment permits to care and homecare workers, meat workers, construction workers, healthcare assistants, haulage drivers, dairy workers, and bus and coach drivers.

“This trend is set to continue," she said.

Call for action 

The MRCI called on the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth, to ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment, to introduce a simple and flexible notification process that would allow all permit holders to easily change employers as part of the new Employment Permit Bill which is currently before the Dáil.

Nasc Migrant and Refugee Rights Centre advocacy service manager, Brian Collins, said that refugees enrich our communities, and it is important to push back against those who deliberately seek to misrepresent refugees and sow fear and division.

Child Benefit should immediately be extended to children living in direct provision to improve living standards there, Mr Collins said.

Cooking facilities should also be made immediately available wherever possible.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) should be mandated to inspect all emergency accommodation for International Protection applicants, including hotels and B&Bs, as the standards vary widely, Nasc said.

Recent changes at the International Protection Office (IPO) to speed up the process mean that persons from deemed safe countries may find it difficult, if not impossible, to access legal support prior to their substantive interview in relation to their claim, Mr Collins said. 

People are now having to complete an important form in English on arrival without access to legal representation or proper support, he said, adding: 

While this is undoubtedly a very challenging time for the relevant agencies, it is critical that we meet our legal and moral obligations to those who arrive to our shores seeking safety.

Correction: This article was edited to state that GEP holders can transfer employers after 12 months if they find a new job.