FOUR IN every five Chinese students in Ireland say they have experienced racist abuse while living here, but most of them believe it would be pointless to report these incidents to the Garda, according to a new report.
The large-scale study of mainland Chinese students in Ireland, carried out by academics at UCD and Queen's University Belfast, paints a bleak picture of their life in Ireland, with financial pressure, poor English, a lack of knowledge of public bodies and feelings of isolation and loneliness all emerging as common concerns.
While a large majority (79 per cent) of students had experienced racist abuse and 42 per cent were concerned by racism, most thought it was "useless to report crime to police because their own experience or that of Chinese they knew left them with the view that the police wouldn't care about their cases", according to the authors, Dr Richard O'Leary of Queen's and Dr Lan Li of UCD.
While knowledge about Irish legal, medical and policing systems was very low among respondents, another reason not to approach officials was a concern over immigration status, which was cited by more than half of respondents. This fear has intensified since the rules on student visa renewal were tightened in 2005.
Ireland's Chinese students are predominantly young, well educated and urban. Of some 300 students surveyed and interviewed by researchers, almost half had primary degrees from China and the other half were educated to secondary school level. Three-quarters were aged between 23 and 27, while a large majority (89 per cent) were from urban China. Some 60 per cent came from Liaoning province in the northeast of the country, while 15 per cent came from Fujian in the south.
The report was commissioned jointly by the Church of Ireland's Dublin University Far Eastern Mission (DUFEM) and the China Educational and Cultural Liaison Committee, a Catholic organisation. Its respondents were mainly English-language students, who are believed to be the largest cohort of Chinese in Ireland.
It found that almost all Chinese students are working as well as studying. While most work alongside colleagues from Ireland and overseas, four-fifths (84 per cent) live with only Chinese housemates and 83 per cent report that all their friends are Chinese.
The "language barrier" was listed as the main concern by 58 per cent of students, even though nearly half of them were studying English.
Most interviewees described the strain of adapting to the Irish culture, remarking on the difficulties in establishing close relationships with Irish people and reporting feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Financial difficulties also arise, and one language school student told researchers that "selling jobs" was common among some Chinese.
On average the students surveyed had been in Ireland for three years. Asked about future plans, only 21 per cent said they intended to go home directly after their studies. Almost half (44 per cent) plan to gain further work experience in Ireland after their studies and before returning to China. The other third either plan to stay in Ireland (15 per cent) or don't know (17 per cent).
Commenting on the findings, the Rev Patrick Comerford of DUFEM said it called for a generous response from all churches. "We need to be more welcoming, we need to be aware of needs and differences, and we need to be aware of opportunities for practical help, advice and support. And we need to ask whether we need full-time Chinese clergy to work in Ireland."