Are Ireland’s immigrants living from a suitcase?
The first time I heard Leo Varadkar’s suggestion that immigrants could be ‘paid’ to leave Ireland, my immediate thought was that the Fine Gael TD does not fully appreciate that leaving is simply not an option for many immigrants. It would seem from comments such as his that immigrants live out of a suitcase, and can just catch the next plane home once their adopted country ceases to be an attractive prospect, economically speaking. But in most cases this is far from reality. The findings from the Trinity Immigration Initiative’s recent and ongoing study of migrants in the recession serve to strengthen the opinion that we do not necessarily head for the ports when there is a downturn. That is not to say, of course, that some immigrants won’t depart if they are able to, and if there are more attractive options available. For the younger sections of the workforce, for instance, or those yet to start families or buy a home, leaving might be a possibility. But for people who have lived here
The first time I heard Leo Varadkar’s suggestion that immigrants could be ‘paid’ to leave Ireland, my immediate thought was that the Fine Gael TD does not fully appreciate that leaving is simply not an option for many immigrants. It would seem from comments such as his that immigrants live out of a suitcase, and can just catch the next plane home once their adopted country ceases to be an attractive prospect, economically speaking. But in most cases this is far from reality. The findings from the Trinity Immigration Initiative’s recent and ongoing study of migrants in the recession serve to strengthen the opinion that we do not necessarily head for the ports when there is a downturn. That is not to say, of course, that some immigrants won’t depart if they are able to, and if there are more attractive options available. For the younger sections of the workforce, for instance, or those yet to start families or buy a home, leaving might be a possibility. But for people who have lived here
