With the exception of Fianna Fáil, the main political parties favour allowing asylum-seekers to work after six months in the State.
Here are the parties' other key policies on asylum, immigration, racism and multiculturalism:
Fianna Fáil's manifesto pledges to reduce delays in asylum-processing, increase the rate of repatriation of failed asylum-seekers, review processing arrangements for work visas and ensure monitoring of working conditions of visa-holders. It will review the laws on incitement to hatred and appoint an expert group on managing cultural change to advise government.
Fine Gael in its programme for government promises an urgent review aimed at shortening asylum-processing times and speeding up deportations of fraudulent applicants. It will develop a policy to combat racism and establish the work-permit policy for migrant workers on a transparent and fair basis.
Labour's manifesto proposes to drop the work permits scheme, replacing it with a green card system. It will establish an immigration and asylum authority and reform several key elements of the asylum-claim system.
The PDs' manifesto says they will establish the interim Reception and Integration Agency on a statutory footing and give it resources to fulfil its mandate more effectively. They will work to ensure that "race will not become a source of social exclusion".
The Green Party favours ending the system of direct provision, whereby asylum-seekers live in full-board accommodation and accordingly receive reduced welfare payments.
Sinn Féin's manifesto proposes setting up a multi-agency task force to aid the positive integration of immigrants. It pledges to reform the work permit system so that permits are granted to employees, not employers as at present.