Increase in new Irish arrivals says leading immigration attorney

By

MOLLY MULDOON,

Irish Voice Reporter

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'Brain Drain' - emigration figures in Ireland similar to 1980s

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“A very troubling pattern that I see more and more is that people that I helped back in the 1980s and 1990s, who eventually returned to Ireland in the good years of the Celtic Tiger economy, are now contacting me again with a view to coming back to the U.S.,” he said.

“Many of these people would have had established themselves legally and financially in the U.S. when the economy was good here in the 1990s and the visa laws were less restrictive but gave up their life here to return to a booming Ireland,” said O’Malley.

Many Irish people decided to return to Ireland to build their dream home and live among their family and friends after years of living abroad. But the ailing economy means their quality of life has dramatically changed.

“It's depressing really to hear some of the stories, dreams dashed, careers and jobs gone, savings spent in a high flying economy,” O’Malley reflected.

Despite strict visa regulations and limited green card availability, the appeal of New York and the U.S. remains strong for Irish emigrants in search of a new life.

“Not a day goes by without a phone call or an email or often a slew of emails asking for advice on any range of subjects related to coming to the U.S. to live and work,” O’Malley said.

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