Mary Gilmartin: Don't let protests divert us from important process of integration
While protests, such as the recent one at Magowna House Hotel in Co. Clare, are getting the bulk of media and public and government attention at the moment, it’s important to realise they are just one part of the story. Photo: Eamonn Farrell / RollingNews.ie
Recent protests at proposed accommodation centres across the country have made media headlines.
The centres are usually earmarked to house international protection applicants, some of whom were not given accommodation on their arrival here. The High Court has already said that the failure to provide accommodation for international protection applicants is unlawful.
While protests are getting the bulk of media and public and government attention at the moment, it’s important to realise they are just one part of the story. The protests relate to international protection applications, who make up a very small proportion of migrants to Ireland each year.
In the period between the last two Censuses, 2016 and 2022, the Central Statistics Office estimates average levels of immigration at just under 90,000 people per year. International protection applicants made up less than 4% of that number. The other 96% of people who move to Ireland each year is made up of returning Irish nationals and their families, people from the UK and EU countries, people who are specially recruited to work in the Irish health service or IT sector and their families, and international students.
Ireland has been a country of net immigration for most of the last 30 years, with migrants from 200 countries living here in April 2016. The OECD has described Ireland as a ‘new destination country’, with highly educated immigrants.
Across the world, migrants contribute to their new homes in many ways. We know this from the experiences of Irish migrants in other places, such as the US and the UK.
Irish and other migrants contribute to these societies through their work, their community and political activities, and through cultural activities such as music and literature and sport.
Being able to participate in this way is often described as the process of integration. There are many different definitions of migrant integration. The most useful is that integration is ‘the process of becoming an accepted part of society’.
The EU and OECD have together agreed on a range of measures to measure the extent of migrant integration across different countries. These measures include the level and quality of employment, educational levels, indicators of social inclusion such as household income, housing and health, and whether or not people are made to feel welcome.
In Ireland, annual reports on measures of integration have been published by the Economic and Social Research Institute. The most recent report, for 2022, showed high levels of employment and education among migrants, as well as lower levels of income and higher housing costs compared to Irish nationals. However, the ESRI reports pay limited attention to whether or not Ireland is a ‘welcoming society’, which is important if migrants are to become an accepted part of society.
Recent protests might suggest that Ireland is not a welcoming society. But these protests mask the significant, often quiet, efforts that local communities make to welcome new arrivals. There are examples all across the country; including sports clubs and Sanctuary Runners; Global Kitchen initiatives and arts projects and local festivals and homework clubs; and the work of local church and faith groups and political parties.
These activities create opportunities for newer residents to meet longer-term residents, they facilitate conversations and interactions, and they provide a basis for shared understanding. At the local level, people and organisations — both migrants and non-migrants — have been working to create the conditions for integration and social cohesion, often over many years.
However, the process of integration is made more difficult because of the broader challenges that migrants face. For most new arrivals to Ireland, finding a place to live or school places for children can be difficult. Many, including returning Irish, struggle to have their work experience in other countries recognised.
Registering with a GP is no longer straightforward in many parts of the country, both rural and urban. Finding affordable childcare is not easy, especially in cities. These challenges are not unique to Ireland: moving to and making a new life in a new country is often a struggle. These challenges are also not unique to migrants. Difficulties with housing and healthcare and childcare are faced by many people living in Ireland, regardless of their migrant status.
Apart from the shared challenges, there are other specific obstacles. For example, returning Irish nationals often highlight how hard it is to get affordable car insurance. It's difficult for people to access English language classes in Ireland, particularly if they are working. This is in contrast to many other countries that prioritise language classes for new arrivals.
International students in Ireland can’t count their time as a student if they want to apply for Irish citizenship. People working in skilled jobs may not be able to get permission for family members to visit for long periods. International protection applicants often face very long waits before their case is decided.
Beyond this, it’s important to recognise that while those of us who have lived in Ireland for most or all of our lives may know how things work, it’s not always apparent to new arrivals. This is because we often rely on tacit knowledge or personal connections rather than on a written-down procedure that everyone follows.
Many of the challenges of integration could and should be addressed by the State, through legislation, policies and increased financial resources. In areas such as housing and healthcare and childcare, improved policies and investment — for example, in social housing or State-provided affordable childcare — would benefit all Irish residents, regardless of migrant status.
Better treatment of international students would make it easier for these highly-qualified graduates to remain in Ireland: this has already been recognised as important in countries such as Canada and Australia that provide significantly easier pathways to permanent residence. Enhanced provision of English-language training by the State would benefit both migrants and local communities. Supporting migrants in the process of integration also serves to support non-migrants, improving the quality of life for us all.
Integration starts at the local scale, where people live and work and socialise. In Ireland, support for the process of integration is mostly provided by local residents and local community groups and organisations.
A recent research report published by the Immigrant Council of Ireland found that while many local authorities wanted to play a bigger role in integration, a lack of resources and expertise was making this difficult. As a start, the government could provide more long-term funding to local authorities to develop their expertise in supporting integration at local levels, augmenting the existing work of local residents.
There are many reasons for protests about accommodation centres, ranging from hostility towards or fear of migrants to concerns about resources or communication. It’s important that the protests don’t divert us from the important ongoing process of integration. Many local communities are already doing this quiet work that enriches our society.
Their efforts need to be matched by the State, so that we might build a future that is inclusive and resilient, and where we can all be an accepted part of society.
- Professor Mary Gilmartin, Department of Geography, Maynooth University
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