Over the last decade, tens of thousands of immigrants have made Ireland their home. While the majority of them have come for the sole purpose of working, some have gained entry to the State for various other reasons, including study and business. A small percentage are also seeking asylum.
However, with deepening economic problems giving rise to greater unemployment, immigration to Ireland is set to take a hit. Already the Government is reviewing Ireland’s various immigration schemes with a view to drastically reducing the number of immigrants that come here every year to live and work. It is also believed that a reduction in immigrant numbers would help reduce the potential impact that new immigrants might have on Irish public services.
While Metro Éireann accepts that unprecedented times like this demand unprecedented measures, we also believe that any measures which aim solely to reduce the numbers of immigrants coming to Ireland would be counter-productive. That is not to say that our borders should be wide open, but we strongly believe that this period offers Ireland an opportunity to reinvent itself, as well as begin to create new business opportunities.
One simple way of doing this is to encourage immigrants who have entrepreneurial skills to easily move to Ireland. To do this successfully would require us to re-market Ireland as a country of great opportunities for immigrants to set up new ventures.
This is being successfully done in some other leading economies. Canada’s business immigration programme, for instance, which has been good at attracting experienced businessmen and women, currently supports the development of a viable Canadian economy. We believe that Ireland can do better in this area.
editor@metroeireann.com
