Brian Lenihan's immigration Bill could end up making non-EU citizens feel unwelcome here, writes Bryan Mukundi.
A friend angrily told me recently that there was no way on God's green earth she was going to apply for Irish citizenship.
"Bryan," she said, "they can keep it. I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of thinking I need it!"
And no, she isn't just an angry black woman. She's one of the most pleasant people I know. She is Zimbabwean, has lived in Ireland for over six years and is entitled to apply for citizenship, but has chosen not to do so.
Trading in a Zimbabwean passport for an Irish one would remove a mountain of travel restrictions and dreaded visits to the immigration office. In spite of all this, you couldn't pay her enough to make this trade. She is a doctor, pays her taxes, has never broken the law and loves serving people. In return, she has been made to feel unwelcome.
There are broadly two types of immigrants here from outside the EU - those seeking asylum and those who want to study here or have been offered a job.
A lot has been said about the abuse of asylum. And it is undeniable that some people who say they left their country because of violence or the threat of violence are lying. The truth is, of those who do not leave as a result of torture or fear thereof, the vast majority leave for the same reason so many Irish fled from this country once upon a time - the search for a better life.
The other migrant group includes professionals such as doctors, accountants, engineers and the like. They have skills which the Government has decided are needed here so they get work permits. This group typically earns over €50,000 a year and pays taxes but is not entitled to the same State benefits as EU citizens.
You would think this group has it easy, but you would be mistaken. Often, their families cannot join them. They typically have to see immigration officials every year or so and these trips are often unpleasant or unpredictable. In order to travel outside Ireland, they must pay for re-entry visas.
Immigration can be a good thing for all concerned. It has been shown that money that immigrants sent back to their home countries is far more effective in alleviating poverty than aid.
Economists have shown that immigration is generally good for both the sending and receiving country. So why a country as generous as this would be so keen to keep people out is difficult to understand. Could it be that it is easier to give from a distance than it is to live with strangers?
Justice Minister Brian Lenihan recently unveiled the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill. Its overall effect (intended or not) is in my opinion to keep out non-EU citizens. Why would I say a thing like that? Although I could point to a host of things, the biggest one for me is the identity card issue. If the whole country had to carry ID cards, I could live with that.
But ID cards just for non-EU citizens which contain biometric information and are to be carried at all times remind me too much of South Africa's apartheid regime, where failure by a black person to carry a passbook could result in immediate imprisonment.
How far removed would that be from what is being proposed? Worse, having my fingerprint or retinal scan on a chip in my pocket just doesn't seem right. The word that comes to mind is draconian.
It amazes most of us outsiders how some in this country can empathise with the "undocumented" Irish in America and at the same time have no compassion for "illegals" or "refugees" here.
I have met people from the Democratic Republic of Congo and from Iraq whose cases have been under review for months. I have met others who have been waiting to have their asylum applications processed for three or more years. During that period, they haven't been allowed to work, and have received €20 a week as an allowance. Yes, food and shelter is provided, but imagine not being allowed to provide for yourself for years. How is it possible to give so much in aid, send troops to places like Chad, and at the same time introduce legislation that shuts the door on real people in real need?
At the end of the day, we migrants are just guests in this country. We may pay taxes and contribute to making it a better place, but we cannot dictate what laws are set. We can join the debate on issues that affect us and try politely to be heard. But ultimately, all we can do is watch what happens and then decide whether to stay and accept things as they are, or move on and hope for better. That's great for those of us with the means to move on.
The vulnerable . . . well, they pay the price for being vulnerable.
Bryan Mukundi trained as a doctor in Zimbabwe but now lives in Galway.