There were 114 new contacts registered at the Migrant Rights Centre during the month of June.

THEIR PROBLEMS ARE WIDE-RANGING FROM

WORK PERMITS

PERMISSION TO STAY,

WORK RELATED DIFFICULTIES,

FAMILY REUNION,

HOLIDAYS,

PILGRIMAGE,

VISITS TO EU STATES,

PERSONAL PROBLEMS.

They were from the following countries;

Argentina, Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, China,

Congo, Czech Republic, Estonia, India, Indonesia,

Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Nigeria,

Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Slovakia,

South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, Zimbabwe,

There are significant numbers arriving from the new member states of the European Union. Many have little information about Irish life, job availability, accommodation and cost of living. For many, to enter the work place a Safe Pass Certificate is needed. This course is an added expense for the immigrant that many cannot afford as they have little money. They are like many Irish emigrants to Britain in the past arriving with little money expecting to find immediate employment and no accommodation arrangements. This places emigrants in a very vulnerable situation, as they literally have to bargain for a days work on a city pavement. Migrant men and women have to do this and there are no screams of "prostitution". Yet, in these instances there is silence. Many of these haggling for a day's wage on the side of the street are third level graduates and other highly skilled people whose degrees and diplomas are not recognized in Ireland. So much for common integration policies that relate to people in the European Union!

Embassies of these states when contacted by their citizens have little hesitation in referring them to centres like the Migrant Rights Centre. Embassies seem to have an apartheid system in place in relation to their citizens. It is obvious from our experience that embassies do not want to know the kind of response needed in helping their citizen's migration. However, they could learn from the Irish experience whose embassies in the 1980s appointed community Liaison officers to enable their citizens cope with the difficulties of migration.

The Migrant Rights Centre is in contact with the Irish Government's Departments of Foreign Affairs and Social and Family Affairs that have direct responsibility for these situations mentioned above. While there are affective responses from various departments, however, policies and procedures prevent quick humanitarian action.

This lack of a wider humanitarian space between the state and the market leaves many young people adrift in inner cities throughout the European Union creating new swamps of poverty, marginalization and disaffection. The shell of the market is not in itself an adequate shelter for young, idealistic healthy immigrants. The offices of the European Union must in many ways be tangible in people's lives through the signs and symbols of their own nations, How can people connect and feel a sense of belonging in a new Europe if their needs and aspirations are ignored?

Hopefully, in 2006, which is the European Year of Worker's Mobility, issues relating to migration will be highlighted and responded to with a new vision and procedures that will touch people's lives.