Sir, –You recently had an article on the undocumented Irish in the US, in which you portrayed them in a favourable light, and you have now followed it with a similar article on the undocumented Brazilians in Ireland ("Undocumented Brazilians living in fear and limbo", December 14th).
This second article has again been non-critical of their illegal status.
Both of your articles placed emphasis on the ordinary everyday things that illegals do, such as the Leaving Cert and hurling, in a manner that appears to suggest that hurlers and Leaving Cert students somehow deserve a right of residence.
Inevitably in any group of people there will be sportsmen, students, etc, but being normal is not enough to claim a right of residence.
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Economic immigrants should bring a special skill with them – preferably one that is unavailable or in short supply in the host country.
In addition, every country should be allowed to choose what people it accepts or rejects for residency status.
A country should only accept law-abiding people, which rules out the undocumented.
It should not be arm-twisted into accepting certain groups, and should not allow illegal immigrants to claim residency status simply because they have assimilated to a certain degree. – Yours, etc,
GARRY BURY,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Congratulations to Simon Carswell for his powerful and moving article "America's undocumented Irish who can't come home for Christmas" (December 16th).
Behind the statistics, and anti-migrant rhetoric, there are real people, and we must never let ourselves forget that. – Yours, etc,
MARY BYRNE,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.