Groups urge publicity on immigrants' voting rights

Groups working with immigrants have called on the Government to ensure that non-nationals know about their right to vote.

While welcoming last week's amendment to the electoral regulations, which will make it easier for non-nationals to register to vote, the groups, including the Irish Refugee Council, are concerned immigrants are not being told of the change.

The change potentially affects anyone here on a work permit, refugees, foreign students and asylum-seekers. The size of this electorate could be 50,000.

Along with other groups the IRC had been seeking changes to allow immigrants use their Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) card as a form of identification when registering to vote. They had had numerous reports of immigrants attempting to register but being turned away at Garda stations as a GNIB card was not a recognised acceptable form of identification.

Following repeated calls the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, last week added the GNIB card as an acceptable form of identification. However, despite issuing a press release last week the Department is not planning a publicity campaign.

All non-nationals are entitled to vote in local elections. All EU citizens are entitled to vote in EU elections. The deadline to register in the forthcoming EU and local elections is May 24th.

Mr Pat Guerin, liaison officer with the Irish Refugee Council, said that while he welcomed the change as "long overdue", many immigrants were unaware that they could vote on June 11th.

"There needs to be an advertising campaign on local radio stations, for instance, and there should be notices in all health centres, Garda stations and direct provision centres. One group that needs special attention are those immigrants who have tried to register to vote already and have been turned away. They are unlikely to try again unless they know about the change."

Mr Jean-Pierre Eyanga, co-ordinator on Integrating Ireland, said he was "very concerned" that the Department was not publicising the change.

"There should be ads on radio and in newspapers." He said the NGOs that had fought for the change could publicise it but they would need resources. "Also the time is too short to introduce this before the elections."

Mr Guerin described voting as "an important part in the process of integrating" and a valuable opportunity for the Government.

"If immigrants voted in larger numbers it would encourage mainstream politicians to take immigrants' issues seriously. When immigrants start using their votes and their voices politicians will begin to take note. And they really have not up until now."