Minor Road Offencees are being barred from becoming Citizens

[BDSK2003]

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news ... 74416.html


Immigrants convicted of minor road offences are being barred from becoming citizens, it was claimed.

Social justice campaigners said the citizenship process appeared designed to turn away migrants rather than welcome them.

The Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI), which will hold a think-in on Tuesday on migration and identity at University College Dublin, called for an overhaul of the system to make it fairer and more efficient.

ICI chief Denise Charlton said: "Many countries require that citizenship applicants be of 'good character'. While other countries spell out what this means in practice, Ireland does not.

"People have been refused Irish citizenship because they have come to the adverse attention of the gardai and this has, literally, meant that people who have had two penalty points on their driver's licence have been deemed ineligible.

"If the Government is going to enforce a system where minor road rule infringements are considered enough to debar a person from ever becoming an Irish citizen, it should be honest and say so."

Ms Charlton said more than 340 people had attended seven meetings held around the country to discuss the citizenship process.

Delays and lack of clear rules consistently emerged as among the main issues.

Social justice campaigner Sr Stanislaus Kennedy said there was a deep feeling of hurt and anger among migrants trying to become Irish citizens over delays and refusals for seemingly trivial reasons.

"Grave injustices are occurring in the administration of Ireland's process for applying for citizenship," she said. "We need to ask ourselves why our system seems designed more to prevent people becoming citizens of our country because, unless we do, then any attempts to rectify the bureaucratic processes are doomed to failure."

[IrishTom]

Seems a bit harsh alright.

Social justice campaigner Sr Stanislaus Kennedy said there was a deep feeling of hurt and anger among migrants trying to become Irish citizens over delays and refusals for seemingly trivial reasons.

"Grave injustices are occurring in the administration of Ireland's process for applying for citizenship," she said. "We need to ask ourselves why our system seems designed more to prevent people becoming citizens of our country because, unless we do, then any attempts to rectify the bureaucratic processes are doomed to failure.

A member of the RC talking about grave injustices occurring in Ireland. If Carlsberg did irony....

[homingpigeon]

Seems a bit harsh alright.

Social justice campaigner Sr Stanislaus Kennedy said there was a deep feeling of hurt and anger among migrants trying to become Irish citizens over delays and refusals for seemingly trivial reasons.

"Grave injustices are occurring in the administration of Ireland's process for applying for citizenship," she said. "We need to ask ourselves why our system seems designed more to prevent people becoming citizens of our country because, unless we do, then any attempts to rectify the bureaucratic processes are doomed to failure.

A member of the RC talking about grave injustices occurring in Ireland. If Carlsberg did irony....

If Carlsberg did politics you would be Biffo.