A JUMP in price from zero to €500 has made residency status in Ireland the most inflated commodity going.
Long-term residency applicants were left stunned this week when they received letters from the Department of Justice informing them of the new charge for successful residency recipients. Previously no fee applied.
Rajat Bhatnagar, a hotel manager originally from Delhi in India, submitted his long-term residency application in February 2008, and told Metro Éireann the department’s move is little more than “extortion”.
Living in Ireland for seven years, and a board member of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI), he remarked: “My opinion is that I see it as extortion, that’s my stand... I think this fee is scandalous.”
He said that in addition to paying taxes, non-EU immigrants must also fork out €500 annually for work permits, re-entry visas (€100) and GNIB Registration Cards (€150).
“There was no charge for it, and all of a sudden this is introduced,” he continued, “It’s not like you’re carrying €500 in your pocket, I don’t understand how it can be introduced in times when people are trying to make ends meet.”
Two-year waits are typical for long-term residency applicants, and Bhatnagar said that because of this he’ll have to spend €1,000 to renew his permit in December, when it expires.
“There’s no timetable from the Department of Justice on how long [getting] residency takes, so to be on the safe side, I’ll have to apply for a two-year renewal.”
As to whether the fee introduction is legitimate, in light of the need to bolster state coffers, he replied: “We [immigrants] are paying our way. Just like everybody else, we benefited from the Celtic Tiger. Now it’s a recession, we are ready to fight as well, we are ready to help the country. But this isn’t fair.”
Last year, citizenship fees were also hiked, with a rise of just under 50 per cent to €950 for adults and €200 for children.
deputyeditor@metroeireann.com
