Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD has today announced her draft proposals for a scheme to regularise thousands of undocumented migrants in Ireland.
Opening the scheme by the end of the year is a key part of Minister McEntee’s Justice Plan 2021, and this week she updated Cabinet on her proposed approach, ahead of consultation with stakeholders.
The final terms of the scheme are subject to the consultation process. The Minister’s initial proposals envisage that eligible people would:
- Have a period of 4 years residence in the State without an immigration permission, or 3 years in the case of those with children;
- Be granted an immigration permission that allows for unrestricted access to the labour market; and
- Have years of residence with that permission reckonable for the purposes of pursuing citizenship by way of naturalisation
Minister McEntee said:
“There are thousands of people across the country who have created a life here but unfortunately still live in the legal shadows. They are active members of our communities: contributing to our society, enriching our culture and working in our economy.
“I firmly believe that we in Ireland must show the same generosity towards undocumented migrants living in our country as we ask other countries, particularly the United States, to show Irish people who have built a life elsewhere but who are still undocumented in their new homes.
Minister McEntee and James Browne TD, the Minister of State for Law Reform, James Browne, will hold an information webinar with NGOs, civil society, employer organisations, trade unions and other key stakeholders on Monday, April 26th, on the proposed Regularisation Scheme for long-term Undocumented Migrants.