The ability of Irish employers to attract and retain international talent is being put at risk by the growing perception that tensions around issues of race have increased in recent years, an Ibec employment law conference has been told.
Administrative delays at the Department of Justice are also making living and working in Ireland needlessly more challenging for many migrants, the event heard, while changes to family reunification rules for general work permit holders are likely to make it more difficult for employers to retain staff in the hospitality and construction sectors.
At the event in Dublin, an audience of human resources managers and professionals was told by Ibec’s head of social policy, Kara McGann, that Ireland’s reputation as a welcoming place for overseas workers would “take decades to win back” if it was lost.
Legitimate concerns over shortages of housing, GP services and transport infrastructure was, she said, being exploited by some on the far right, who used misinformation and disinformation to fuel genuine anxieties among the population, while “we’ve also seen a breakdown in certain communities of communication around immigration, around integration, that hasn’t helped this conversation”.
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The potential consequences of this are serious for the economy and society, said McGann, who leads Ibec’s Open for Business campaign.
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“If talent feels that it’s not welcome, if talent feels that Ireland is closed, they will go elsewhere. And it’s not even a case of that, they won’t come to Ireland, but they will leave Ireland for elsewhere.
“You’ve got the issue around investment. Typically, capital and international capital likes to invest in an area where there’s stability, and if they feel Ireland is getting a reputation for xenophobia, for racism, for homophobia, capital will do what it does in the face of volatility – it will go elsewhere.
That, she said, would “impact the richness of our societies, our neighbourhoods, our communities, our sports fields” but also Ireland’s economy, as “we need migration, we need that talent. We need to be an inclusive society to keep the lights on, let alone to keep growing.”
Ángel Bello-Cortés, a partner at immigration consultancy Fragomen, said ongoing delays in renewing Irish Residence Permits (IRPs) of overseas workers was also causing problems.
“In fairness to the Department of Justice, they have acknowledged it, that when it comes to the IRP cards, there are significant delays. We’re looking at three months, three months-plus.”
He said the issue tended to impact on people from different countries to different extents. “For example, a US national, if they need to travel and re-enter, even if their card is expired, in most cases they can do that. But if it’s an Indian national and their card is gone, if they leave, they won’t even be able to board the plane. Like, even the airline will say ‘you’re not getting into the plane’.
“And if the employer is not familiar with the system, it can create issues with HR as well. So the card is certainly an issue, and those delays persist.”
Responding to a question in the Dáil in recent days, Minister of State for Migration at the department, Colm Brophy, acknowledged the issue, which he put down to “exceptionally high demand”, and said additional staff had been assigned to help address the backlogs with further measures being considered.
