Minister welcomes Emigrant Advice’s study on recent, vulnerable Irish emigrants to the UK

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Dermot Ahern TD, welcomes the publication of the Department of Foreign Affairs funded Emigrant Advice report: 'Recent, vulnerable Irish emigrants to the UK: profile, experiences and pre-departure solutions'.

The Minister said:

“A particularly welcome dividend of our economic prosperity is that we have created opportunities at home for our young people and reversed the tide of emigration. However, we recognise that some people may continue to choose to live abroad and we want to ensure that they are fully prepared for the challenges that they may face.

This study contributes to our understanding of the needs of some of our younger, more vulnerable emigrants and the difficulties they may face. Emigrant Advice plans to use this information to enhance pre-departure services for intending emigrants. We greatly appreciate the work of Emigrant Advice and other organisations that support people considering emigration and those living abroad.

My Department's support for this type of research can be seen in the wider context of the Government's strong commitment to supporting the Irish community abroad. €12 million has been made available to my Department for emigrant services in 2006. This represents an increase of 45% on 2005. I look forward this year to increasing our support for the critical work of those groups in the voluntary sector that reach out to the more vulnerable members of our community abroad.”     

Note for Editors:

Emigrant Advice is a programme of CROSSCARE, the Dublin Diocesan Social Care Agency. It is engaged in the provision of information to those involved in migration decisions or experiences. Many of its clients are migrants in vulnerable circumstances. The Department of Foreign Affairs has supported the development of its outreach programme, aimed at reaching vulnerable people who may consider emigration.

For further information, contact Emigrant Advice on 01/873-2844 or  www.emigrantadvice.ie