The Government faces a growing dilemma as it seeks to assuage public concerns over migration, yet maintain the flow of migrant workers needed to sustain the economy. On the one hand, senior ministers say migration must be reduced, while on the other there is a clear need in many sectors for a migrant workforce. Like the messaging, policy is similarly confused .
Ireland’s ageing population and growing economy mean migrants are needed to fill many jobs, both highly-skilled and lower skilled. Increasingly, as a new report from the Economic and Social Research Institute points out, these are from outside the European Economic Area and thus require visas to work here.
A key issue is that turnover is high. Roughly one in every two immigrants who come to Ireland on critical skills visas leave within two years. The same proportion of those who come on employment permits – granted to those needed in many sectors, notably healthcare and retail– are gone within five years, according to the report.
No one reason is advanced for this high turnover, but the ESRI highlights the housing shortage. There is no quick fix to the housing problem but it makes little sense to compound the issue by doubling down on other policies identified as negatives by the ESRI. High on the list are limiting family reunification and restricting routes to citizenship, where rules for those on ordinary employment permits are more restrictive.
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The ESRI also recommends a more proactive recognition of overseas qualifications, as well as a more rigorous response to the exploitation of migrant labour via low pay and poor conditions.
Ireland needs migration controls for a range of reasons and the Government has presented the recent tightening of the rules as a move to bring the State into line with other EU countries. Some of the new rules do not apply to those coming here to work, but statements from senior politicians have clearly pointed to a desire for lower general immigration. Yet forecasts show that Ireland will need tens of thousands more to fill jobs in the years ahead.
