Dil Wickremasinghe explains how the Irish ‘céad míle fáilte’ is not the reality for gay love immigrants who wish to live here with their partners
Asylum seekers, refugees and economic immigrants are often in the news, but what about gay love immigrants? Who are they? And how does Ireland feel about them?
Firstly let us define a love immigrant. A love immigrant moves to be with someone they love, rather than wanting a better standard of living. Love immigrants usually aren’t seeking a foreigner for a partner, the relationship having already developed either through a work setting, internet contact or a vacation abroad.
Marriage is a saving grace when it comes to immigration for partners in a heterosexual scenario, as it would assist the non-EU partner of the union to acquire residency in Ireland on the basis of their relationship with the Irish citizen. However, as same-sex unions are yet to be legalised in Ireland, where does this leave gay love immigrants? Out in the cold.
How do same-sex couples comprising an Irish and a non-EU citizen deal with the various issues that arise from intercultural unions while simultaneously struggling with the immigration laws in Ireland? Is it fair to expect the non-EU partner to secure a work authorisation or permit in order to remain in the country? Should the visa stamp in their passport accurately reflect the ‘real’ reason they are here? Is it fair to subject the Irish partner to the stresses of the Irish immigration system simply because they fell in love with another person that does not happen to be Irish or European? Should the Irish Government have the final say on whom you choose to be your life partner?
Let’s say a Sri Lankan girl met an Irish girl in the Arabian Gulf. They both worked as flight attendants for an international airline – yes it was love at 30,000 ft! They subsequently moved to Ireland simply because homosexuality is still deemed as a criminal act in Sri Lanka. Surely, since Ireland is part of Europe, the country should have awarded same-sex partnerships equal rights by now? Little did the couple know that falling in love and moving to Ireland was the easy part, but staying together in the same country was much harder. This is our story – one in which we made the Irish Government finally acknowledge our existence.
We have been together for the last eight years. When we arrived in Ireland in 2000 we contacted various Government departments and immigration solicitors to understand what legal rights we had as a same-sex couple. We were particularly concerned how I, being a non-EU national could remain in the country.
The Government officials we spoke to at first were rather dismissive and bluntly declared: “We don’t have laws for you people.” Then we approached the non-profit organizations dealing with immigrant and gay rights, and unfortunately even they were of no help. We both soon realised that I would have to find an employer who would apply for a work permit to allow me to stay.
Thankfully we did not have to wait long, and looking back now it seemed rather easy, but at the time we were both under extreme pressure. The stress was almost unbearable. Frequently we thought of fleeing to the UK where same-sex couples have more rights, including permission to stay in the country on the basis of their relationship.
My work permit was approved, but it also carried the inconvenience of legally binding me to my employer, and I found it too risky not to seek alternatives as it would only be valid for a year. Consequently we enlisted the services of a solicitor and sent an application to the Department of Justice, carrying documents proving the integrity of our relationship. After a two-year wait, the department sent a letter requesting me to “give up” my permit and re-apply! This outrageous request angered both of us and demonstrated how disconnected Government officials were with the reality of an immigrant in Ireland. Without a permit I would not have been able to work, and there was also no guarantee of being awarded residency even if I did renounce my permit. We were not willing to take a gamble, so we abandoned this course of action.
Surely we were not the only people in Ireland facing this issue? There is strength numbers, so we decided to seek out others out by writing an article in a leading gay publication. Through that we met another couple who shared our concerns and frustrations, and together we founded Glue – Gay/Lesbian Union Eire.
Our vision is for all partnerships in Ireland to be recognised and awarded equal rights, and to enjoy the same benefits as married heterosexual couples. Glue is an independent group promoting equal partnership rights for LGBTQ partnerships through awareness and advocacy. Glue also hopes to offer support and information for couples in need.
In 2005, Glue met the Minister of Justice and was able to secure residency for a number of same-sex couples on the basis of their relationship. We were one of them. The funny part was that we did not hire any solicitors or lodge any applications this time, and depended purely on the integrity of our relationships.
We successfully proved to the authorities that, on paper, our relationships shared the same commitment a heterosexual union would have. We all co-owned properties, had joint bank accounts, lived together for years and had the support of our family and friends, but above all we were determined to do anything to be finally recognised by the Irish Government.
Yes, we did win that battle – but not the war, as the law has yet to change in Ireland. The Government has on countless occasions agreed and discussed that it is high time they did introduce laws to award equal rights to same-sex couples, but so far all they have done nothing more. At the same time, homophobia is on the rise – after all, if the Government refuses to acknowledge same-sex unions by introducing the necessary laws, it is sending a very clear message to its citizens.
This year is the European Year for Equal Opportunities for All. To combat the negative perceptions the public has toward members of minority groups, we started a training company called Diversity & Equality Works, through which hope to assist organisations to embrace diversity through diversity and equality awareness training.
The programme challenges participants’ prejudices, which have mainly been acquired from their environment; the attitude the Government has demonstrated towards members of various minority groups is highly influential to public perception.
Gays, lesbians, transsexuals, Travellers, Nigerians, asylum seekers, refugees, the disabled, religious minority groups, immigrants and gay love immigrants – all are minority waiting for recognition, for equal rights in Ireland. How much longer do we have to wait?
Firstly let us define a love immigrant. A love immigrant moves to be with someone they love, rather than wanting a better standard of living. Love immigrants usually aren’t seeking a foreigner for a partner, the relationship having already developed either through a work setting, internet contact or a vacation abroad.
Marriage is a saving grace when it comes to immigration for partners in a heterosexual scenario, as it would assist the non-EU partner of the union to acquire residency in Ireland on the basis of their relationship with the Irish citizen. However, as same-sex unions are yet to be legalised in Ireland, where does this leave gay love immigrants? Out in the cold.
How do same-sex couples comprising an Irish and a non-EU citizen deal with the various issues that arise from intercultural unions while simultaneously struggling with the immigration laws in Ireland? Is it fair to expect the non-EU partner to secure a work authorisation or permit in order to remain in the country? Should the visa stamp in their passport accurately reflect the ‘real’ reason they are here? Is it fair to subject the Irish partner to the stresses of the Irish immigration system simply because they fell in love with another person that does not happen to be Irish or European? Should the Irish Government have the final say on whom you choose to be your life partner?
Let’s say a Sri Lankan girl met an Irish girl in the Arabian Gulf. They both worked as flight attendants for an international airline – yes it was love at 30,000 ft! They subsequently moved to Ireland simply because homosexuality is still deemed as a criminal act in Sri Lanka. Surely, since Ireland is part of Europe, the country should have awarded same-sex partnerships equal rights by now? Little did the couple know that falling in love and moving to Ireland was the easy part, but staying together in the same country was much harder. This is our story – one in which we made the Irish Government finally acknowledge our existence.
We have been together for the last eight years. When we arrived in Ireland in 2000 we contacted various Government departments and immigration solicitors to understand what legal rights we had as a same-sex couple. We were particularly concerned how I, being a non-EU national could remain in the country.
The Government officials we spoke to at first were rather dismissive and bluntly declared: “We don’t have laws for you people.” Then we approached the non-profit organizations dealing with immigrant and gay rights, and unfortunately even they were of no help. We both soon realised that I would have to find an employer who would apply for a work permit to allow me to stay.
Thankfully we did not have to wait long, and looking back now it seemed rather easy, but at the time we were both under extreme pressure. The stress was almost unbearable. Frequently we thought of fleeing to the UK where same-sex couples have more rights, including permission to stay in the country on the basis of their relationship.
My work permit was approved, but it also carried the inconvenience of legally binding me to my employer, and I found it too risky not to seek alternatives as it would only be valid for a year. Consequently we enlisted the services of a solicitor and sent an application to the Department of Justice, carrying documents proving the integrity of our relationship. After a two-year wait, the department sent a letter requesting me to “give up” my permit and re-apply! This outrageous request angered both of us and demonstrated how disconnected Government officials were with the reality of an immigrant in Ireland. Without a permit I would not have been able to work, and there was also no guarantee of being awarded residency even if I did renounce my permit. We were not willing to take a gamble, so we abandoned this course of action.
Surely we were not the only people in Ireland facing this issue? There is strength numbers, so we decided to seek out others out by writing an article in a leading gay publication. Through that we met another couple who shared our concerns and frustrations, and together we founded Glue – Gay/Lesbian Union Eire.
Our vision is for all partnerships in Ireland to be recognised and awarded equal rights, and to enjoy the same benefits as married heterosexual couples. Glue is an independent group promoting equal partnership rights for LGBTQ partnerships through awareness and advocacy. Glue also hopes to offer support and information for couples in need.
In 2005, Glue met the Minister of Justice and was able to secure residency for a number of same-sex couples on the basis of their relationship. We were one of them. The funny part was that we did not hire any solicitors or lodge any applications this time, and depended purely on the integrity of our relationships.
We successfully proved to the authorities that, on paper, our relationships shared the same commitment a heterosexual union would have. We all co-owned properties, had joint bank accounts, lived together for years and had the support of our family and friends, but above all we were determined to do anything to be finally recognised by the Irish Government.
Yes, we did win that battle – but not the war, as the law has yet to change in Ireland. The Government has on countless occasions agreed and discussed that it is high time they did introduce laws to award equal rights to same-sex couples, but so far all they have done nothing more. At the same time, homophobia is on the rise – after all, if the Government refuses to acknowledge same-sex unions by introducing the necessary laws, it is sending a very clear message to its citizens.
This year is the European Year for Equal Opportunities for All. To combat the negative perceptions the public has toward members of minority groups, we started a training company called Diversity & Equality Works, through which hope to assist organisations to embrace diversity through diversity and equality awareness training.
The programme challenges participants’ prejudices, which have mainly been acquired from their environment; the attitude the Government has demonstrated towards members of various minority groups is highly influential to public perception.
Gays, lesbians, transsexuals, Travellers, Nigerians, asylum seekers, refugees, the disabled, religious minority groups, immigrants and gay love immigrants – all are minority waiting for recognition, for equal rights in Ireland. How much longer do we have to wait?
