Migration in Ireland
Dr Mary Gilmartin
Professor Rob Kitchin
NUI Maynooth
ESPON UK Network Workshop, 13 May 2009
Overview
• Migration to Ireland: recent trends
• Researching migration
• Future directions
Immigration to and emigration from Ireland, 1995-2008 (Source: CSO)
120000
100000
Number of people
80000
Immigration
60000
Emigration
40000
20000
0
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Immigration 31200 39200 43900 44000 48800 52500 59100 66900 50600 50100 84500 107800109600 83800
Emigration 33,200 31,200 29,000 21,200 31,500 26,700 26,300 25,500 20,700 18,500 29,600 35,900 42,200 45,400
Migrant groups in Ireland, April 2006
Nationality
Number
UK
112,548
Polish
63,276
Lithuanian
24,628
Nigerian
16,300
Latvian
13,319
US
12,475
Chinese
11,161
German
10,289
Filipino
9,548
French
9,046
Population by place of birth (Source: Central Statistics Office)
16.00
14.00
Percentage of total population
12.00
10.00
Other
US
8.00
Scotland
England and Wales
Northern Ireland
6.00
4.00
2.00
0.00
1981
1986
1991
1996
2002
2006
Researching migration
• Ad-hoc approach to research on migration
– Civil society: often focuses on marginalised groups
and on specific needs
– Policy makers: consultant-led, short-term
– Academic: longer-term, but little co-ordination
• Lack of clarity in relation to governance
– Junior Minister for Integration in three departments:
Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs; Education
and Science; Justice, Equality and Law Reform
– Yet, labour migration managed by Department of
Enterprise, Trade and Employment
http://www.immigrantcouncil.ie/
(Source: MCRI 2008:128)
Future directions
• Assumption that recent migration is temporary,
but no evidence to support this
• Impacts of global economic recession:
–
–
–
–
Employment
Social welfare
Public services
Housing
• Second generation
– Education
– Language
• Need for a systematic approach to research on
migration