Minister to lobby against US crackdown on illegal aliens
FOREIGN Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern arrives in New York today at a crucial time for tens of thousands of undocumented Irish immigrants who now face punitive new legislation in the US.
Mr Ahern said yesterday: “We don’t want our people marginalised any further.”
The legislative debate in American was “entering a critical phase” with various proposals under consideration, he added.
The government here is concerned that a crackdown on illegals - demanded by many hardliners in the US - could see thousands of Irish arrested and repatriated each year.
He said he also expected to travel to Washington in a matter of weeks “to underpin the Irish Government’s campaign on behalf of the undocumented Irish”.
The White House is actively seeking legislation that would involve tough new enforcement measures and improved border security, as well as a “temporary worker programme”.
This scheme would fall short of a Green Card programme and leave people vulnerable to deportation at almost any time.
President Bush in a recent radio address declared: “As we improve and expand our efforts to secure our borders, we must also recognize that enforcement cannot work unless it’s part of a comprehensive immigration reform that includes a temporary worker program., The phrase “temporary” has caused alarm across many nations, including Ireland, since there appears to be no guarantee of a right-to-remain for Irish illegals who decide to come forward.
The programme would be open to foreign workers, including the undocumented currently in the US who would be required to pay a fine to participate. But a visa would be valid for only three years, with the possibility just of a single renewal.
Minister Ahern said there was another Bill, sponsored in part by Senator Edward Kennedy, that would enable undocumented Irish people to participate in the life of their adopted country, free from fear and uncertainty.
The Goverment wished to lend its full weight to that proposal, he said.
“We all know that since the September 11 attacks there has been a dramatic change in the security climate in the US,” added Mr Ahern.
“Tighter border security measures, being unable to travel home for fear of being refused re-entry, and difficulties in obtaining driving licenses all serve to increase the pressure on the undocumented Irish.
“Thousands of our nationals are effectively living in a kind of twilight zone,” he said, afraid of their lack of legal status being discovered. “They are increasingly feeling under strain.”
Senan Molony
Political Correspondent
