Cllr Liam Galvin: Unemployed eastern europeans should go home

ABBEYFEALE councillor Liam Galvin has called for unemployed Eastern Europeans claiming unemployment benefit to be sent home, stating that a week's social welfare money could cover their airfares.

Cllr Galvin also said that he believes that a considerable amount of fraud is also being committed through the wrongful claiming of entitlements on the part of foreign nationals.

"I am by no means racist, and I would like to help everyone, but I say that the time has come to take people aside and tell them that they had been very welcome here when the good times meant that work was plentiful," said Cllr Galvin.

http://www.limerickleader.ie/west-limerick/Cllr-Liam-Galvin-Unemployed-eastern.5301781.jp

New work permit fee angers migrants

Angry migrants who face new fees of up to €2,250 to renew their work permits let the Tanaiste know how they felt yesterday, writes Anne-Marie Walsh.

Protesters held a demonstration outside the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment over changes to the permit system that start on Monday.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/new-work-permit-fee-angers-migrants-1753191.html

Mosque dream a step closer after donation

The Muslim community in Cork is one step closer to having a mosque following years of fundraising and an anonymous donation of €800,000.

The Cork Muslim Society was established in 1984 and 10 years later a house was bought in Cork city to be used as a Mosque and Islamic Centre.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/mosque-dream-a-step-closer-after-donation-1749796.html

African local election candidates suffer racial abuse

Two African candidates standing in the upcoming local elections have been racially abused while canvassing in separate parts of Dublin. A death threat issued to one of the candidates is now under investigation by gardaí.

Zimbabwean Green Party candidate Tendai Madondo and South African independent candidate Patrick Map­hoso have both experienced racism on the hustings but say this has made them more determined to win a council seat and help change attitudes.

http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news/article/2009/may/24/blacks-make-me-sick/

Welfare cheat tip-offs rise by 748% since start of recession

ANONYMOUS tip-offs about welfare cheats have increased by 748% since the start of the recession, according to figures obtained by the Sunday Tribune.

There were 1,735 reports received in the first four months of 2009 compared to 232 for the same period last year. Only 180 reports were received in 2007.

Tip-offs relating to those working and claiming welfare at the same time received the most significant increase, rising from 95 and 90 in 2007 and 2008 respectively, to 721 this year.

There were also dramatic increases in reports of cohabiting couples cheating the system and those claiming benefits from outside the country.

http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news/article/2009/may/24/welfare-cheat-tip-offs-rise-by-748-since-start-of-/

Libertas call to close borders sparks race row

A Libertas election candidate was last night accused of "playing the race card" after claiming Ireland's borders should be closed to stop any future influx of foreign nationals.

Raymond O'Malley, who is running in the European elections in the East constituency, said the borders should be closed to the 10 accession states as long as Ireland's high unemployment rate persists.

The Libertas candidate claimed over 29,000 PPS numbers were handed out to foreign nationals since January of this year.

"I think we've got to stop it. I think we have to look after our own people," Mr O'Malley said.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/libertas-call--to-close-borders-sparks-race-row-1739889.html

Nigerian fraudster gets suspended sentence

Olubuckolo Kilani (aged 41) of Hamlet Avenue, pleaded guilty to attempting make a gain or cause a loss by deception at the Credit Union on July 16, 2007.

The Nigerian mother-of-two has no previous convictions.Judge Martin Nolan said the details of the account were "murky" and he accepted that Kilani was making the withdrawal after being persuaded by "interested parties". He imposed a two-year suspended sentence.

Garda Alan Carroll told Mr Paul Greene BL, prosecuting, that the Swords Credit Union had placed an account under review after a suspicious lodgment had been made using a cheque altered from €3,500 to €35,000. They made attempts to contact the account holder but were unsuccessful.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/woman-who-fraudulently-withdrew-money-from-credit-union-given-suspended-sentence-410760.html

7000 asylum-seekers currently in the system cost €800 per week each

Currently, there are approximately 7,000 asylum-seekers at various stages of the application process in the system. Almost 5,000 are at first instance and appeal stage.

Fine Gael’s Denis Naughton said, despite improvements to the system, there was still a "significant backlog" and applications were taking a long time. He said a substantial part of the delay in processing asylum applications results from delays in processing leave to remain applications.

"While I accept they are complex, based on the current rate of processing, it would take approximately five years to clear the existing backlog of such applications. Is the minister of the view that this is unacceptable, particularly in light of the fact that €800 per week is spent on the court, accommodation, processing and deportation costs of each asylum applicant?"

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/integration-boss-hits-back-at-aherns-90-unfounded-asylum-claim-91579.html

Asylum seekers to Ireland double the EU average

IRELAND remains a popular country for people seeking asylum, especially Nigerians, according to EU figures just released.

When compared to the population, Ireland attracted the eighth highest percentage of people from outside the EU seeking asylum.

This was double the EU average, but well less than countries like Malta and Cyprus, which take the brunt of people trying to get into Europe from Africa in particular.

A total of 3,865 people applied for asylum, with the single largest group – 26% or 1,010 people – coming from Nigeria.

The next single largest groups were 6% (235) from Pakistan and 5% (205) from Iraq.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/asylum-seekers-to-ireland-double-the-eu-average-91312.html

Foreign names 'a hindrance to job-hunters'

Job-hunters with foreign names are twice as likely to be blackballed by potential employers than obviously Irish candidates, groundbreaking new research revealed today.

A study – the first of its kind in Ireland – showed employers were less inclined to give interviews to people from ethnic minorities even if they are as qualified as Irish candidates.

The joint report by think-tank the ESRI and the Equality Authority also found high-levels of discrimination here compared with other countries.Richard Fallon, Equality Authority’s acting chief, warned: “It does prove that a very old ghost of discrimination still haunts us.

“Moreover you’re twice as likely to encounter this spectre with a non-Irish surname than with an identifiably Irish one, that’s even with Irish citizenship and with Irish qualifications.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/foreign-names-a-hindrance-to-jobhunters-409700.html

Deportation bill of €6.8m over past five years

THE state has spent more than €6.8m during the past five years on flights to send failed asylum-seekers back to their home countries.

However, although the number of deportations has continually fallen, the cost of repatriation rose in 2008, with a total of €920,000 spent last year.

The average cost of each deportation – over half of which involved a transfer to another EU state – is now running in the order of €2,500.

The Department of Justice said that a total of 433 people were removed from the state last year, the majority to other European countries.

Figures show that just 162 people were actually re­moved to their country of origin, mainly aboard large-scale deportation charters to Nigeria and other countries in Africa.

Another 271 people were escorted from the country to other EU states after it was found they had already made an asylum application prior to arriving in Ireland.

http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news/article/2009/apr/26/deportation-bill-of-68m-over-past-five-years/

Over 10,000 applied for citizenship last year

Figures from the Department of Justice show that a new high of 10,885 people applied for naturalisation in Ireland last year. In the same year, a total of 3,117 people were granted citizenship and told that they can remain here for good.

Another 2,795 applications were either refused or deemed ineligible on grounds of fraud or for not meeting the strict government requirements.

The volume of applications – which includes 2,179 new cases in the first few months of this year – has led to a massive backlog and a 23-month waiting period for decisions.

The rise in applications has been significant, growing from just 739 in 1999 to its record level last year.

http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news/article/2009/may/03/over-10000-applied-for-citizenship-last-year/

Interpreters for gardaí are not vetted abroad

Garda Tom O’Sullivan yesterday told delegates at the closing session of the GRA’s annual conference in Killarney, Co Kerry, that the whole interpreter system needs to be overhauled.

Mr O’Sullivan said that in many cases agencies had hired interpreters after a short interview over the phone and without asking for a CV from them. Interpreters do not have to have any academic qualifications or accreditation. While those working for the Garda are vetted for a criminal record in Ireland, their backgrounds in their home countries are not checked.

The GRA said it has no idea if the people it is using are criminals and in many cases they have very poor English. It could not rule out the possibility that foreign gangs operating here had “planted” its own members to work as interpreters.

“The system does not have the safeguards to ensure that doesn’t happen,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0430/1224245683458.html

Integration changes cultures - lecturer

Prof John Berry, of Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, said young people from immigrant or ethnic minority groups were sometimes expected to keep their heritage culture only in the private sphere.

“In other words, the public culture is the culture of the dominant group and all other cultures are down and out,” he said.

Prof Berry said most interaction with immigrants tended to take place in schools or in the workplace.

Both cultures would change as a result of this interaction, and “school, health and possibly policing will be changing here in Ireland”.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0430/1224245683003.html

25 Nigerians deported

The 11 men, five women and nine children were removed from the country last night as part of an operation carried out in conjunction with Frontex - the European Union Border Management Agency.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/25-nigerians-deported-on-special-charter-flight-14285076.html

New figures reveal 10pc of primary pupils born overseas

THE great ethnic divide in Irish education is revealed today for the first time.

Some 10pc of pupils in primary education -- around 44,000 in all -- were born outside the State but they are not evenly distributed across the nation's 3,200 schools.

A quarter of primaries, or some 820, have none at all, a half have up to 10pc and the remaining quarter have anything up to 70pc of overseas students.

Among the findings of the census of more than 3,100 primary schools are:

• One in 10 primary school pupils were born outside of Ireland; 23,226 came from other EU countries and 20,703 from outside the EU.
  
• More than 50pc of pupils in 12 schools are non-Irish.
  
• Most Irish-language gaelscoileanna have either no non-nationals or only a tiny minority.
  
• A quarter of the pupils in schools in Dublin 15 do not have Irish citizenship (7.7pc are from other EU countries and 16.7pc from outside the EU).

http://www.independent.ie/education/latest-news/new-figures-reveal-10pc-of-primary-pupils-born-overseas-1719736.html

Libertas formally recognised as Irish political party

Libertas has been formally added to the register of political parties by the clerk of the Dáil this morning, according to a statement by the party.

The step follows a 21-day period during which objections to the application could be lodged, and means that Libertas may nominate candidates for any domestic election.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/libertas-formally-recognised-as-irish-political-party-408624.html

Romanian with "23 previous convictions" jailed

A Romanian father-of-one who was caught by alert security guards retrieving a skimming device and camera from an ATM has recieved a two-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Florian Lupu (aged 21), of Glenealy Downs, Clonsilla, pleaded guilty to possession of a skimming device and adapted camera at Beaumont Hospital on October 11, 2007.

Judge Frank O'Donnell had remanded Lupu in custody after hearing evidence in the case in March. He told Lupu, who has 23 previous convictions, that he had "shown consistent disregard for any strictures".

Judge O'Donnell suspended the last year of Lupu's sentence but said: "Word has to go out that people doing what this man did must serve time."

http://www.breakingnews.ie/archives/2009/0422/ireland/eyauqlidkfid/

Recession blamed on drop in numbers of asylum-seekers

IRELAND'S precarious economic situation appears to be discouraging asylum-seekers from seeking refuge in this country, latest statistics have show.

Quarterly figures from the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC) show 790 would-be refugees have arrived so far this year. Based on those figures, the total expected this year will be in the region of 3,160, a fall of more than 600 from the 3,807 who arrived last year.

The decline has been in the order of 22%, backing up claims made by former Minister for Justice Michael McDowell that many applicants were in fact "economic migrants".

http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news/article/2009/apr/19/recession-blamed-on-drop-in-numbers-of-asylum-seek/

Hundreds of migrant workers 'forced into sex industry'

Hundreds of young women trafficked to Ireland have been forced into the sex industry, it was revealed today.

A new study found more than 1,000 women are working in brothels – with up to 97% of them migrants.

Organisations which have already helped 102 victims of trafficking in less than two years fear many hundreds more are being sexually exploited in the underground industry.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/eyaugbsnkfoj/

Polish groups apologise for football hooligans

GROUPS REPRESENTING the 27,000 Polish people living in the North have apologised for the violence caused mainly by visiting “Polish football hooligans” ahead of the recent Northern Ireland versus Poland game in Belfast.

Under the umbrella of the Polish Community Forum of Northern Ireland, the groups issued a statement yesterday deploring the “intolerable behaviour” of the so-called Polish fans, and urging that the good relations established with local people should not be damaged.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0416/1224244810819.html

Tougher criteria for work permits

The Government has today announced it is to make it more difficult for foreign nationals to seek employment in Ireland by introducing revised legislation for work permits.

The changes, which are to come into effect from June 1st, will apply primarily to first-time entrants to the labour market.

Under the new arrangements, permits will not be granted for jobs paying under €30,000 per annum. Permits will also not be given for a number of professions including domestic workers and HGV drivers.

In addition, the length of time that employers have to advertise jobs will be increased and tougher conditions for the renewal of permits - including higher fees - will also apply.

A further change will see spouses and dependants of future work permit holders having to apply for permits in their own right.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0415/breaking33.htm

FF to join Liberal grouping in Europe

The European Liberal Democratic and Reform group (ELDR) is to approve Fianna Fáil’s application to join the group at a council meeting in Brussels on Thursday. However, Fianna Fáil will not join the ELDR until after the June 5 elections to the European Parliament, remaining inside the centre-right UEN group.

Senior Fianna Fáil sources acknowledged there were internal difficulties with the decision to join the liberals, which was announced by Taoiseach Brian Cowen at the party’s ard fheis last month.

Ahead of the second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, Cowen is keen that Fianna Fáil consolidate its position as a pro-European party in alliance with the liberals. The European Liberal Democratic Party has 55 member parties across Europe, which include five prime ministers and ten commissioners of the 27 member states.

http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqt=IRELAND-qqqm=nav-qqqid=41023-qqqx=1.asp

Search for Polish rapist in the midlands

A suspected serial rapist on the run from the UK authorities for 12 years was tonight being hunted in the Irish midlands.

London’s Metropolitan Police are hunting Pole Dawid Wysocki, who is accused of being involved in two brutal gang rapes.

Detectives have released a photo of the 30-year-old – also known as Andrzej Wysocki or Arthur Bryewicz – who fled London while on bail for one of the attacks.

It is believed he could be in hiding with members of the Polish community in Portlaoise.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/eyaugbkfgbid/

Unemployment now at 11%

Another 20,000 people have signed on to the Live Register in March, bringing the seasonally adjusted total to 372,800.

According to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office, it is the biggest Live Register total on record, following an earlier record in February. Records began in 1965.

The CSO said the unemployment rate rose to 11% last month from 10.4% in February.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0401/liveregister.html