State generates €300m through residence permit charges to migrants, campaigners say

More than €300 million has been generated by the State through the provision of Irish residence permits issued to migrants even though they cost a fraction of that sum to produce, campaigners have claimed.

Calling for a price reduction, the Migrants Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) said the €300 fee poses an enormous cost to those who must adhere to the system and re-register.

Anyone wishing to stay for longer than three months in Ireland, and who is not from the European Economic Area (EEA), UK or Switzerland, must apply for an IRP card, with many people having to re-register annually. However, according to the MRCI, the cost is prohibitive in the context of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and the relatively cheap administration cost of €20.

“The figures just don’t stand up. It’s not fair on people who have made Ireland their home,” said Mairéad McDevitt, community work lead at the MRCI. “It’s not fair on the people and their families who are trying to provide for themselves.”

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Information provided to the organisation by way of a parliamentary question shows that between 2013 and last January the State took in over €318 million from the service. By their account the cost of the 1,061,487 cards issued in that time was just over €22 million.

The Fair Fees campaign is not seeking free access to such cards, but simply a reduction in cost more in line with other European countries. According to its research, the equivalent in Greece costs €16; between €16 and €24 in Spain; and €80 in Luxembourg.

It has also drawn comparisons to relatively insignificant sums of money involved in the administration of drivers licence and passport fees.

“There is no reason for the card to be that expensive. The campaign is not about not paying, it’s about reducing the cost,” said Vanee Renghen, who arrived in Ireland from her native Mauritius in 2006.

Each year Ms Renghen and her husband Ravin, who work respectively in retail and as a barber, must find €600 in renewal fees whilst simultaneously raising two young boys in Dublin. One February, she said, they had to delay replacing their child’s glasses because the money had to go to new IRP cards. “You depend on this card to be able to function, to be able to work, if you have an emergency and have to go back to your country.”

However, a spokeswoman for the Department of Justice said there were no plans to amend the fee which is designed to reflect the “effort and cost involved in processing registrations”. She noted several exemptions including those who are family members of an EU citizen.

The card, according to the department, certifies a person is legally registered with immigration authorities, negating any requirement to apply for a re-entry visa when returning to the State.

“The cost of registration has not increased since 2012. However, the fee is kept under ongoing review by the department, including in respect of increases to the costs of providing the facility,” the spokeswoman said.