Immigration policy here in urgent need of 'real change'

There is a need for "real change" in the way immigration is managed here, a senior official in the Department of Justice has said.

He added that the establishment of a cross-departmental office on immigration, headed by a minister of state for immigration is "something that could work very well".

Terry Lonergan, assistant principal officer in the Immigration Division of the department, was speaking at a discussion in Dublin yesterday, hosted by the Immigrant Council of Ireland.

The conference heard from Portuguese high commissioner for immigration and ethnic affairs Dr Rui Marques, who said the overriding principle guiding his state's immigration policy is "equality and tolerance".

Like Ireland, Portugal's experience had traditionally been one of high emigration. Large-scale immigration was a more recent phenomenon.

His office was established in 1996 although it was only placed on a statutory footing in 2002. Its budget was increased substantially in 2004 - from €850,000 to €4.75 million a year. His office co-ordinates the activities of all departments on immigration-relevant issues and he reports directly to the Portuguese cabinet.

Among the services provided for migrants to Portugal is an immigration information phone-line as well as immigrant support centres throughout the state, dedicated to assisting them with information about employment rights, recognition of qualifications, housing, family reunification and tax laws.

Immigrants account for 4.5 per cent of the population there compared with 10 per cent here.

Denise Charlton, chief executive of the council, said Portugal was "far ahead of us" in terms of its immigration policy.

While policies are co-ordinated through one department in Portugal, they are "provided by a number of different Government departments acting in isolation, with little co-ordination, creating confusion and providing ad-hoc responses here."

She called for the appointment of a minister of state for immigration.

Mr Lonergan said: "We would accept there is a need for major change. We can see every day the problems which arise for people as a result of all the different departments involved in single issues - getting a work permit sorted out, for example."

Fergus McCafferty, former principal officer in charge of economic immigration at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, said: "In all my years as a civil servant, I never worked in a place that was such a horrific mess."