Immigrants Falling Into Poverty Trap

[thejuice]

By Daniel McConnell and Anne-Laure Fremont
Sunday March 09 2008


They came here in hope to build a better future for themselves and their families, but things haven't worked out as they had planned.

As the economy has slowed and thousands of jobs have been lost, many of the 'New Irish' now find themselves broke, unable to speak the language, depending on charity to eat, struggling to keep a roof over their head or homeless, and too ashamed to go home.

One tenth of our population is now made up of foreign nationals. Polish, Czechs, Lithuanians, Slovenians, Russians, and Romanians -- some of whom found themselves abandoned when the economic boom that brought them here turned to bust.

Many are now living in abject poverty -- struggling even to eat -- and some have ended up among Ireland's 2,000-plus homeless. Hundreds queue at Dublin's day centres (they're not called soup kitchens anymore), now filled with more foreigners than Irish.

Alarmingly, this massive suffering is going unnoticed by the Government -- with changes to budgets and legislation reliant on reports lagging way behind events.
Many of those migrants who have fallen on hard times came to work in Ireland's once booming construction industry, but are now struggling to find work.

Pavel, from just outside the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, moved to this 'Promised Land' in early 2006. In limited English, he told his story.

"I came here and made ten times what I would at home. It is expensive to live here, but I was doing well. Then, in September, the work ended. I do bits and pieces. By Christmas, I had no money left. I couldn't go home."

Pavel began attending a couple of Dublin's day centres for his breakfast and dinner.

"I heard of this place from others who are in trouble like me. I feel ashamed; I can't feed myself but I am doing all I can. I don't want to be a drunk or addict, I want to work. I have pride," he said.

Speaking at the Capuchin Day Centre, in Bow Street on Thursday, mother-of-two Dorota from Poland spoke of her desperate struggle.

A pretty woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, Dorota attends the centre with her twin daughters Magda and Agata, aged eight. Shy and barely able to speak, her story is translated.

"I arrived here on September 17, 2007 with my twin daughters because I did not earn enough in Poland, where I was a fashion designer.

"Here I found a job cleaning the construction sites, but it didn't last long. I first went to this charity association in February. I am here everyday, because I don't have enough money to buy food for the girls.

"I am taking a course to learn how to speak English. My daughters are going to school, they sometimes teach me how to talk.

"I don't want to go back to Poland -- you earn twice as much money here. I am trying to find a job as a fashion designer. I do not feel really comfortable here though. I got a place to stay from social welfare."

Others admit to failing victim to poverty traps like alcohol abuse and theft. Jonas from Romania said, also through an interpreter, "It has been hard, there is no work and no benefits -- because I have no address. I turned to begging and got mixed up with some bad stuff. I'm trying to get better."

Brother Kevin Crowley, who runs the centre near Dublin's Smithfield area, said the numbers of foreigners coming every day is rising. The Capuchins used to provide for a lot of Polish, but the main group now are Romanians.

"We are serving over 500 meals a day here. There are huge numbers of non-Irish coming, many with no English whatsoever. Many have come to work and are struggling. Many of them, particularly the Poles, are a pleasure to deal with. Very respectful and decent. It's hard because they want to work," he said.

Br Kevin was critical of the red tape and hoops that many of the poor have to go through when dealing with homeless or poverty agencies. "It makes a tough existence even tougher," he said.

For the Simon Community, who operate at the coal face of the homelessness, day and night, a big problem in aiding foreign nationals is trying to locate them. Simon operates soup run teams, composed of 100 part-time volunteers, distributing soup, sandwiches, chocolate bars or tea at spots around Dublin like Heuston Station. They also provide temporary accommodation at 30 emergency beds in the city.

"Homeless foreign people often manage to gather and find some place to stay during the night, whether it be squats or elsewhere. They tend to leave the city centre at night, because they feel safer outside," according to Lorna Cronnelly of Simon.

"But for those who have nowhere to spend the night except on Dublin's streets, making a contact with the rescue teams is hard because of the language barrier."

According to the latest figures, there are now almost 30,000 non-nationals on the dole. Funding to help those in need has been cut or frozen, while those entitled to claim benefits face a quagmire of red tape and waiting lists.

The Department of Family and Social Affairs is also concerned that a disproportionate number of foreign nationals are engaged in fraud, with a staff of 600 dedicated to tackling welfare fraud.

According to Martin Cullen, almost €400m was saved last year as a result of anti-fraud checks

The small proportion of immigrants who have tried to "milk the system" should not be confused with the those, far greater in number, who came here to be part of the Irish dream but got chewed up and spat out by it, and who continue their struggle -- alone and forgotten by the country they helped to build.

- Daniel McConnell and Anne-Laure Fremont

This is the reason why Im in favour of controlled immigration. It does a disservice to the ones who do come over. I know it sounds a bit hostile or a bit like 1984 but if fewer immigrants were brought in and then had better monitoring of their welfare and employment status it would make life more easier for them and us. Giving them a more sure footing in society and better chance of integrating with people. Its hard to integrate and be comfortable in your surroundings when you cant afford to step outside your front door or having to resort to crime to get by.

[SammyG]

This is the reason why Im in favour of controlled immigration.

I always laugh when I hear anybody from the UK or Ireland talking about controlled immigration, given that both countries have sent wave after wave of immigrants all over the world, for the last several hundred years. It's OK for Paddy or Wayne to move abroad to 'better' themselves but by fcuk we don't want any foreigners coming over here. 

[thejuice]

how many irish and UK emmigrants ended up in poverty in other countries? I really dont mind immigration but why not learn from the mistakes of the past.

[Declan]

how many irish and UK emmigrants ended up in poverty in other countries?

An awful lot in UK anyway - I can't state what the cases is like in the States but plenty of evidence anecdotally and otherwise to suggest that there was a problem in UK

[thejuice]

how many irish and UK emmigrants ended up in poverty in other countries?

An awful lot in UK anyway - I can't state what the cases is like in the States but plenty of evidence anecdotally and otherwise to suggest that there was a problem in UK

it was a rhetorical question, but thanks anyway.

[Zapatista]

It's a real shame the writers couldn't have left the article at how difficult it is for the homless without ruining it with the "milk the system" angle at the end.

[Gnevin]

2 options you have a system and accept it will be abused and try to limit that abuse or have no system and no abuse at all.

I know which on i prefer.

[thejuice]

2 options you have a system and accept it will be abused and try to limit that abuse or have no system and no abuse at all.

I know which on i prefer.

Thats not really the issue here, and not a solution. The system is abused by people native and non-native, the fact that non-natives have come over here in larger numbers than can be sustained and now were facing with the mess that is highlighted in the above article.

I know it has been used as a veiled form of racism and discrimination but by controlled immigration i mean having a chance to say Stop! Especially in a small state like our own where jobs are a limited,even I couldnt get a job in my current industry in Ireland. infrastructure and housing markets are below demand, sharp increases in population are not sustainable.

Of course we do/did need immigration, and theres no denying the vital and positive impacts it has had but after the gold-rush we now have a serious problem of people falling into poverty  being marginalised. The worst case scenario would be a "lower/poor class" of people (I dont like using the term class myself, its stinks of prejudice) that are predominantly non-nationals and therefore you get tensions between communities.

[lynchbhoy]

2 options you have a system and accept it will be abused and try to limit that abuse or have no system and no abuse at all.

I know which on i prefer.

when you say 'no system' Gnevin - do you mean that no one is allowed come over and work ?
Just want to know what you mean.

[Zapatista]

That would be a system Lynchbhoy.

It will not matter shortly anyway as we will be powerless to stop the implemention of EU law on us in regards to immigration. Leaving Ireland without a system (of their own that is).

[lynchbhoy]

2 options you have a system and accept it will be abused and try to limit that abuse or have no system and no abuse at all.

I know which on i prefer.

Thats not really the issue here, and not a solution. The system is abused by people native and non-native, the fact that non-natives have come over here in larger numbers than can be sustained and now were facing with the mess that is highlighted in the above article.

I know it has been used as a veiled form of racism and discrimination but by controlled immigration i mean having a chance to say Stop! Especially in a small state like our own where jobs are a limited,even I couldnt get a job in my current industry in Ireland. infrastructure and housing markets are below demand, sharp increases in population are not sustainable.

Of course we do/did need immigration, and theres no denying the vital and positive impacts it has had but after the gold-rush we now have a serious problem of people falling into poverty  being marginalised. The worst case scenario would be a "lower/poor class" of people (I dont like using the term class myself, its stinks of prejudice) that are predominantly non-nationals and therefore you get tensions between communities.

I think there should be a 'green card' system. While sammy laughs at the notion of Irish people talking about immigration controls - I agree that a lot of Irish circumvented such controls, but no longer can really do so - esp in the US where controls are now stricter than ever - I think that we need something in place as Ireland was up until recently a country that no one came to live in, completely different to now - and we have not implemented any controls or system to protect these people or the country's interests.

I fully believe that we need immigration and people in to keep our economy booming.
However, I do not believe that immigrants should be allowed social welfare housing, benefit payments etc (I am not really in favour of the full benefits that natives get either).

If there is work then the gren card system altered accordingly. If there is no work, then the workers need to go elsewhere - just as other people do worldwide, and the Irish did with America, England and Australia etc.
No handouts.

[Gnevin]

2 options you have a system and accept it will be abused and try to limit that abuse or have no system and no abuse at all.

I know which on i prefer.

when you say 'no system' Gnevin - do you mean that no one is allowed come over and work ?
Just want to know what you mean.

Just to be clear i prefer the having a system even knowing it will be abused .And the concept applies to both the emigration system and the social welfare system

[lynchbhoy]

That would be a system Lynchbhoy.

It will not matter shortly anyway as we will be powerless to stop the implemention of EU law on us in regards to immigration. Leaving Ireland without a system (of their own that is).

So the EU are going to finally force the rest of the EU member states to open their gates and allow immigrant workers in ? (think its only Ireland UK and Sweden that are open to all immigrants right now - though I could be wrong)

That would def detract from our workforce and could actually mean we experience a downturn based on the housing rental /local spending economy losing its key crucial element - its multitude of punters.

[lynchbhoy]

2 options you have a system and accept it will be abused and try to limit that abuse or have no system and no abuse at all.

I know which on i prefer.

when you say 'no system' Gnevin - do you mean that no one is allowed come over and work ?
Just want to know what you mean.

Just to be clear i prefer the having a system even knowing it will be abused .And the concept applies to both the emigration system and the social welfare system

would agree with you on that apart from social welfare system.
I am sure most people would agree with you on that inc the welfare.

However I as you know am dead against it.

[heganboy]

I always laugh when I hear anybody from the UK or Ireland talking about controlled immigration, given that both countries have sent wave after wave of immigrants all over the world, for the last several hundred years.

This is a pet peeve of mine too.