Law change planned to close 'baby tourist' trail

[vdc]

Law change planned to close 'baby tourist' trail

Thursday March 11th 2004


THE right to automatic citizenship for children born here to non-nationals will be removed if a constitutional referendum is passed later in the year.

The move is intended to stem the tide of "baby tourists" - women who come here only to give birth, thus securing Irish citizenship for their children and subsequent access to other EU states.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell said last night that no date had been set for the poll, although it could yet be held on the same day as the local and European elections - June 11.

If the constitutional change is approved, the Government will introduce legislation to the effect that children of non-nationals can only qualify for citizenship if at least one parent has been legally resident in Ireland for "a substantial period".

That is expected to be at least three years.

The move is threatening to cause a row, with two Opposition parties already calling it "irresponsible" and "opportunist" in advance of the elections.

Ireland is the only country in Europe to give automatic entitlement to citizenship through birth within the territory.

The plans to change the citizenship laws follow a government measure denying social welfare to immigrants unless they can prove they have been living here for two years.

Defending the new measure last night, Mr McDowell said a significant number of women are still coming here to have their babies to gain Irish citizenship for them.

At present, between 20pc and 35p of children born in Dublin maternity hospitals are to non-nationals.

The Masters of the four Dublin maternity hospitals made representations to Mr McDowell last autumn, pointing out the strains these numbers were putting on their services.

Mr McDowell said that 576 non-national mothers presented at the Rotunda Hospital within ten days of delivery, while 281 were in labour when they arrived.

While there have been restrictions on immigrants for the past 11 months, there has been no let-up in the number of pregnant non-national women arriving at maternity hospitals.

The changes are planned as a result of a long review by the Government following a Supreme Court decision in January 2003, which clarified the position of Irish children of non-national parents.

Mr McDowell said: "The motive behind the changes is that we want to have a law which is sustainable and it is our view that the present situation is capable of snowballing out of our control. Two-thirds of the births to non-nationals last year will have been to those other than asylum seekers."

Besides the short-term pressure on maternity services, there were "very obvious implications" for the future of Irish immigration policy.

As long as the legislation is passed by the Oireachtas on, or before, May 12, a referendum could legally be held on June 11. He hopes to get all-party support for the initiative. But he said he was not going to operate on the basis that any of them would have "a veto" on the measures.

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte described it as "opportunistic". Fine Gael, in an initial reaction, said it was carefully studying the proposal.

The Department of Justice foresaw six years ago that changes to Articles Two and Three of the Constitution could cause an influx of "birth tourists" to the North - to allow them to claim passports from the Republic.

"In fairness, civil servants in Justice saw it happening, but nobody was listening to them at the time," Mr McDowell said.

The granting of automatic citizenship to anyone born on the whole island of Ireland was legally spelt out in the Constitutional changes to Article 2. But Mr McDowell suggested the inherent danger was overlooked in the keenness to secure the Good Friday Agreement.

Gene McKenna and
Senan Molony



© Irish Independent
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independe...0565&printer=1

[Dm]

finita la comedia

[AVK]

Штирлицу в голову попала пуля. "Разрывная," -- пораскинул мозгами Штирлиц.

В смысле: наконец-то пораскинули мозгами айриши...

[nexus]

Параллельный топик http://www.virtualireland.ru/showthr...3667#post13667

[Петя и волк]

давно пора

[Kalargon]

Сообщение от Генерал

давно пора

___ХА...---ПОЗДНО--- ...
___За 3 прожитых здесь года ,на мат (правда на русском ,но все поняли ) сорвался только один раз - при общении с выходцами из африки...на редкость счастливые люди*...И у ентих людей уже (в нехилом кол.-ве) подрастает дАаастойная смена...
___Вспоминаются передачи по ВВС - << преступность ночного Лондона >> - наркотики ,грабежи ,насилие ... и сверкающие в ночи глаза преступников,(остаток тела слился с ночью),сдаётся мне , дублину грозит та же участь .
__________________________________________________ _________
___* Наглость - второе счастье * (поговорка такая ).

[Dm]

> Вспоминаются передачи по ВВС - << преступность ночного Лондона >> - наркотики ,грабежи ,насилие ... и сверкающие в ночи глаза преступников,(остаток тела слился с ночью),сдаётся мне , дублину грозит та же участь .

думаю что не нет.

Например, город-герой Глазго, не в обиду ему будет сказано. 2 млн. населения, город промышленный, полным полно местного рабоче-бенефитного населения на которое приходится 99.9 проц. всего криминального или так или иначе связанного с ним... Как говорил vdc - кельты они и в Африке кельты :D

[YellowMan]

Так еще надо чтобы референдум прошел, во что если честно мне не особо верится...

[Kalargon]

Сообщение от YellowMan

Так еще надо чтобы референдум прошел, во что если честно мне не особо верится...

___По сравнению с действиями против всякого рода ""нахлебников"", со стороны ""старшего брата"" (UK), ентот местный рэфэрэндум - просто детский лепет .
http://www.inostranets.ru/cgi-bin/ma...904&chapter=10
___Признатся- малость упустил развитие событий.Возможно описываемый закон уже переделали...Особливо порадовала феня с окольцовкой (ну прям как в кине про светлое будущее...начнут с бесправных , а там и остальные на очереди.(такие как мы к примеру). А младший брат смотрит ... и учится................)