Minister McHugh vows to fight for undocumented Irish in USA

Donegal TD Joe McHugh has vowed to fight for Irish citizens living illegally in the United States to be given the right to live and work there.

The Minister was speaking in the Seanad today (Thursday) on an issue raised by Senator Billy Lawless on the Long Wave RTE service to Britain.

Minister McHugh says the Government supports the retention of the radio service which delivers programmes to Irish people living in Britain.

The Donegal politician also made a number of comments on the Irish in America, saying afterwards that the issue was ‘personal’ because he knows of so many Donegal people who undocumented in the United States.

“As Minister for the Diaspora this has been a key issue for me. Within days of the election of Donald Trump I met emigrant representation groups in Boston and New York,” said McHugh.

“This is personal because I know so many families who have a loved one who is working in the United States, paying their taxes, raising their families and contributing in such a positive way to the communities where they live in America.

“Last November I met some of these people and vowed to continue to work on their behalf and I will meet groups again when I return to America in March. It is my number one priority as Minister; but I remain confident despite the events of the past few days that we can engage at all levels of the American administration.”

The Minister told Senator Lawless that the Government as a “duty of care” to Irish emigrants in Britain after Brexit and in America under the new Presidency.

“We want to grow and nurture our relationships with Britain and the USA and protect it going into the future so that it lasts,” said McHugh.

The Donegal TD went on: “Achieving relief for undocumented Irish migrants in the US and agreement on a facility for future migration between Ireland and the US are longstanding Government objectives. We continue to be committed to these objectives notwithstanding the immigration policy agenda of the new Administration.

“The Government has also availed of every opportunity to sensitise the incoming Administration to our concerns and interests regarding immigration reform, and the plight of the undocumented Irish in particular.  The Taoiseach raised the matter in his separate telephone conversations with President Trump and Vice-President Pence in the days following the Presidential election and my colleague the Minister for Foreign Affairs has done likewise during his visit to Washington DC this week.

“We will continue to work closely with members of the US Congress – in both the House of Representatives and the US Senate, and on both sides of the aisle – to advance progress on this matter. We are fortunate to be able to draw on the assistance of the Friends of Ireland in Congress and the many representatives of Irish-America, who appreciate our concerns.”

The Minister said he is very conscious that this is a time of worry and uncertainty for our undocumented Donegal citizens in the United States.

“Our Embassy in Washington and our Consulates throughout the US are working with Irish community groups in relation to their concerns. On 12 January, the Embassy convened a meeting of senior immigration stakeholders in order to hear directly from those who work most-closely with the undocumented Irish,” he said.

“The Government will continue to support organisations that deliver frontline advisory services and community care to Irish emigrants through the Emigrant Support Programme. In the last funding round for the Programme, organisations in the U.S were allocated more than €2.3 million in funding.

“I can assure the House that the Government, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our Embassy in Washington continue to work closely with Irish-American community leaders in actively pursuing all viable opportunities to advance immigration reform. We will encourage and promote any realistic possibilities for a solution that may arise.” 

McHugh on the Executive Order on immigration

“While US immigration policy is a matter for the US authorities, it is clear that the Executive Order signed by President Trump on 27 January could have far-reaching implications, both on humanitarian grounds and on relations between the US and the global Muslim community.

“The Government shares the concerns expressed by other EU partners regarding this development.

“I note the clarification issued by the Embassy of the United States in Dublin on 31 January, 2017, to the effect that the Executive Order in question does not restrict the travel of dual nationals to the United States, so long as they hold the passport of an unrestricted country and possess a valid U.S. visa, if required.

“Therefore, Irish citizens travelling to the United States on Irish passports should encounter no difficulties in this regard, as long as they have followed the relevant procedures governing the US Visa Waiver Programme.

“My colleague the Minister for Foreign Affairs is in Washington DC this week and has had a number of meetings with Congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle. He expressed our concern about the impact, both actual and potential, of the recent Executive Order.  He also welcomed the clarification provided as to the freedom of Irish citizens to travel to the United States on Irish passports, as provided by the Visa Waiver Programme.”

Ends