The Government has approved a scheme to regularise thousands of undocumented migrants and their families who are living in Ireland. The scheme, which is a key part of the Justice Plan 2021, will be for long-term undocumented migrants and their eligible dependents, where the specific criteria is met.
Senator O’Loughlin said, “I have spoken on the issue of undocumented migrants and their families on a number of occasions in the Senate, especially in the context of those working in healthcare and care facilities. We do not have accurate data on the number of undocumented persons in the State but studies suggest there could be up to 17,000 undocumented persons including up to 3,000 children and that many could be in employment, although mostly in low paid employment.
“This announcement will give so many families much-needed certainty and peace of mind. There are thousands of people living here already that are making a hugely important contribution to our society and the economy, especially in terms of the pandemic and those who were working on the frontline.”
Senator O’Loughlin concluded “I want to commend my Government colleagues for taking action on this issue. We have always been an open, tolerant and accepting society and I pleased that Government policy in the area of long-term undocumented migration will now reflect this.”