Reports from a group symbolising Indian nurses in Cork city reveal that increasing setbacks in acquiring residence permit renewals, necessary for those migrating from non-European Union countries, are creating immense difficulties for numerous workers and their families. Approximately 9,000 foreign citizens employed in the locality are facing postponements of four to six months for mandatory renewal appointments, which is obstructing them from changing or taking up new jobs, impeding family reunification initiatives and citizenship requests, and hampering those intending to travel, often due to family crisis.
The group is advocating for an extension of the online renewal system, which has successfully been implemented in Dublin, to Cork city or increased adaptability in relation to the locations where the appointments are arranged, as much of the broader region is unscathed by these delays.
Janet Baby Joseph, the president of the Cork Indian Nurses association, noted the extensive backlog due to only one centre in Cork City. She revealed that they have reached out to local TDs pledging to bring up the matter in the Dáil, stating that broadening the Dublin’s online system and permitting appointments outside the city could potentially resolve the ongoing issues rapidly.
While the Immigration Service conducts the renewals in Dublin, the rest of the country is under the jurisdiction of An Garda Síochána, who were requested for comments.
Moreover, an immigration specialist at the Dublin-based law firm Lewis Silkin stated that any proposed inclusion of visa requirements for South African employees in Ireland would heavily impact firms that have increased their recruitment drives in South Africa in recent years. Only a meagre 3% of permits have been given to South Africans so far this year but the country is a valuable source of certain expertise that is lacking in Ireland’s building and infrastructure industries.
Despite this, The Cabinet is considering terminating visa-free travel from South Africa three years after its reintroduction, as it is believed individuals from other nations, including Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo, have been exploiting South African passports to bypass immigration requirements.
Acquiring the necessary permits for South Africans to gain employment in the UK currently has an average duration of 10 weeks. However, when visa applications are included in the procedure, it extends the process by an extra eight weeks. Furthermore, additional assistance might be required, rendering the entire task more complex and less appealing to firms seeking these specific skills and have put in resources to employ South African nationals, posits Declan Groarke, a senior associate at Lewis Silkin.
He mentioned that this category encompasses talented individuals like engineers and electrical engineers who are required to bridge a traditional shortage in the labour market. The Department of Enterprise has made some efforts to remedy this insufficiency, but it may wind up being counterproductive at times, Groarke adds.