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Enlargement Exploitation

category international | eu | opinion/analysis author Monday April 26, 2004 19:36author by Fergusauthor email newsforthedeaf at yahoo dot com

“…another truth about fortress continents: being on the inside may be better than being locked out, but it's no guarantee of equal status.”
- Naomi Klein.

The existing policies of the Irish govt. to safeguard the rights of migrant workers and their families are "deficient and lacking in scope."
- Human Rights Commission.

The govt. says that the exploitation of migrant workers in Ireland is not a major problem, but this report reveals hidden levels of exploitation at the heart of our economy - including employers who are household names and considered "pillars" of their communities.
- Prime Time Investigates, Monday, 26 April, RTE1, 9.30pm

“A fortress continent is a bloc of nations that joins forces to extract favorable trade terms from other countries, while patrolling their shared external borders to keep people from those countries out. But if a continent is serious about being a fortress, it also has to invite one or two poor countries within its walls, because somebody has to do the dirty work and heavy lifting. It's a model being pioneered in Europe, where the European Union is currently expanding to include 10 poor eastern bloc countries, at the same time that it uses increasingly aggressive security methods to deny entry to immigrants from even poorer countries, like Iraq and Nigeria.”
- Naomi Klein

From blueprint to deportation
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=63474



“…another truth about fortress continents: being on the inside may be better than being locked out, but it's no guarantee of equal status.”

From blueprint to exploitation
The existing policies of the Irish govt. to safeguard the rights of migrant workers and their families are "deficient and lacking in scope."
The Human Rights Commission has said there is a resistance at govt. level to protect the rights of immigrant workers.
The International Convention on the Protection of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (ICPMWF) http://www.unesco.org/migration/convention
has not been ratified here.
This international human rights legislation came into force in July 2003 to protect a range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights
but it has been ignored by the Irish govt.

"It is not as if the govt. has not been reminded enough."
"We ask why and will keep asking why we have been so slow to ratify it"
- Human Rights Commission

If you're looking for answers, read this Mr. HRC?
http://www.nadir.org/nadir/initiativ/agp/free/wto/news/0116Strongholds.htm
http://www.nologo.org/newsite/essay.php



The cutting edge of the Transatlantic Business Dialogue
"It's very easy for govts. to hide behind Brussels as if it were something we're not involved in.
For anti-poverty groups in Ireland, a lot of them are very surprised to find that in many cases,
Ireland is the country blocking, for example, for many years giving legal status to the Charter for fundamental rights,
that Ireland is a country blocking greater discussion about the inequities brought up by taxation,
that Ireland is the country blocking a stronger social policy in many areas..."
- European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) Ireland

From blueprint to welfare disintegration
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=63786



EU En-blahblahblah-ment.
Nevermind the bollocks about tourists, here's the

"Guests of the Nation"
The govt. says that the exploitation of migrant workers in Ireland is not a major problem, but this report reveals hidden levels of exploitation at the heart of our economy - including employers who are household names and considered "pillars" of their communities.
- Prime Time Investigates, Monday, 26 April, RTE1, 9.30pm


They ask why and will continue to ask whyThey ask why and will continue to ask whyThey ask why and will continue to ask whyThey ask why and will continue to ask whyThey ask why and will continue to ask whyThey ask why and will continue to be paid to speak to a wall?

Comments (3 of 3)

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author by tucholskypublication date Tue Apr 27, 2004 12:50author address author phone

I've heard that (despite talk of a "day of welcomes") all 15 of the "old" EU states have put some form of restriction on citizens from the "new" in place. Does anyone have more details on this?

Thanks.

author by Ferguspublication date Tue Apr 27, 2004 19:13author address author phone

Germany and Austria are dealing with enlargement by imposing immigration limits until 2011.
Limits of two year freezes (renewable for five years in 2006) on immigration from the accession states are being imposed by other existing EU member states

Background to the Back-down.

In Dec. 2002 it was claimed that negotiations for EU enlargement had been completed.
Ireland, Britain, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands announced at the time that they would welcome workers from the new member states from May 1st 2004.

However these countries have drawn back from their promises.

Denmark's EU-turn,
last Dec. announced "we can all celebrate that Danish social security schemes are fenced".

Holland's EU-turn,
on January 23rd announced that a max of 22,000 workers would be admitted during the first year of enlargement.

Sweden's EU-turn,
on January 30th announced restrictions preventing "people from East Europe to work for peanuts and giving them access to our social benefits".


The Irish Minister for Social & Family Affairs, Mary Coughlin recently announced plans to introduce a two-year “habitual residence” test to restrict access to social welfare in Ireland.
This followed a similar move in the UK (restricting “job-seekers allowance”) with whom we share a “common travel area”.
In both cases the restrictions were announced as being part of preparations for EU “enlargement” on May 1st.

"Protecting" the system
from protecting people.
http://www.eu2004.ie/templates/news.asp?sNavlocator=66&list_id=355

author by newsforthedeafpublication date Mon Dec 20, 2004 18:31author address author phone

at the weekend.
NGO's and
the govt's own Human Rights Commission called on the govt
to immediately sign the 1990 UN International Convention on the Protection of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.
The Convention is the only one of seven core UN human rights conventions which Ireland has not ratified.

Ms. Denise Charlton, CE of the Immigrant Council of Ireland said
"The Council has documented the harsh reality experienced by so many in our report 'Voices of Immigrants: The challenges of inclusion'.

The govt. has said it has "no plans at present" to sign the treaty into Irish law as it would require "significant changes" to existing legislation covering social welfare provision, education, taxation and electoral law.

"This is a stark admission that Irish immigration law and policy are out of step with international human rights commitments."
said, Seán Love of Amnesty International.

The CSO estimated Ireland would need 50,000 immigrants a year to 2016.


source - the irish times - mon, dec 20, 2004


http://www.indymedia.ie/article/64586?author_name=GU

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