There are an estimated 20 to 26,000 undocumented people living in Ireland, as many of 5000 of them being children and young people. People in Ireland are generally horrified by the Trump’s administrations war on the undocumented in the US but perhaps not so aware that exactly the same situation has been created by government policy here.
There are an estimated 20 to 26,000 undocumented people living in Ireland, as many of 5000 of them being children and young people. People in Ireland are generally horrified by the Trump’s administrations war on the undocumented in the US but perhaps not so aware that exactly the same situation has been created by government policy here.
We recently covered a solidarity protest with the undocumented in the US organised by Young, Paperless and Powerful. YPP is a creative youth project for undocumented young people in Ireland co-ordinated by the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) who estimate there are between 20,000 and 26,000 undocumented people in Ireland and "2000-5000 children and young people are born to undocumented parents".
The MRCI explain "Undocumented young people consider Ireland their home, yet have no right to residency or citizenship and are in a legal limbo upon leaving secondary school and attempting to get a job or access further education. We know this is hard on the mental health and well-being of young people growing up with this burden. We are currently outreaching to young people who came to Ireland with or to join their parents who do not have legal residency in Ireland i.e. don’t have an immigration stamp, a GNIB card or an ORAC card."
Earlier this week we added video from the YPP rally where speakers addressed the issue of the undocumented in the US. In this video we’ve included the extracts where speakers talk about the undocumented in Ireland and the YPP.
More details at https://www.mrci.ie/our-work/justice-for-undocumented/
Words & video: Andrew Flood (follow Andrew on Twitter)