Where humanitarian considerations failed to move the heart of this Government on the issue of asylum-seekers, it seems that economic self-interest may do the job. In that regard, a decision by the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, to ask the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to examine mechanisms under which work permits could be issued to such people and to non-EU nationals, is to be welcomed. Ministers are believed to have sanctioned the initiative without making any commitment to change the law which prevents asylum-seekers from working while their applications are being processed. But it does represent a shift in Government thinking.
Last summer, the Department of Justice and its Minister, Mr John O'Donoghue, turned deaf ears to representations made by more than 100 organisations, including the major Churches, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the National Organisation of the Unemployed in favour of allowing asylum-seekers to work or study here after six months, pending regularisation of their positions. Existing policies, they maintained, were forcing asylum-seekers into a dependency culture and sowing the seeds of virulent racism in our cities. Within Government, support for change was voiced by Progressive Democrats Minister of State, Ms Liz O'Donnell. But nothing changed. Instead, plans were announced by the Department of Justice to impose penalties of up to £50,000 on companies that employed such people. And Mr O'Donoghue complained that the State had attracted a disproportionate number of asylum-seekers because of our "generous regime".
The facts are that 4,000 people sought asylum here in the first ten months of 1998 and many of those were repatriated. The harsh anti-immigrant regime operated by the Department of Justice has continued unabated. And because asylum-seekers are forced to draw the dole, they are frequently regarded as "scroungers" within their local communities. Earlier this week, the ICTU general secretary, Mr Peter Cassells, said there was growing evidence that asylum-seekers were being exploited within the black economy. And he called on Mr O'Donoghue to review the work embargo.
A survey of asylum-seekers has shown that 44 per cent come from professional backgrounds, while 28 per cent come from other non-manual or skilled manual backgrounds. Such people represent a valuable resource in a booming economy which is rapidly developing skills shortages. Instead of preventing them from working, the Government should consider the economic benefits to be gained from their contributions. But, before political policy can change to welcome immigrants with skilled scientific and technological backgrounds - and others willing to work hard - there would have to be a sea change in bureaucratic thinking. A proper housing policy, which would spread immigrants throughout the community, rather than concentrate them in inner-city areas, would be a start. Advice and assistance on a range of integration problems, to both immigrants and local communities, should also be provided. Such an approach would have to be properly planned and funded. We are living in a transformed economic climate. The Taoiseach talks about the need to address skills shortages in order to sustain and develop our position in the global electronic economy. By opening our door to strangers in memory of our own emigrants, may we not also receive economic benefits in return?