Irish heading to America once again

New arrivals are flooding in to the United States

By

CAHIR O'DOHERTY,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

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Dublin Airport - Emigrants from all over Ireland are heading to the U.S.

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“A lot of the new arrivals don’t qualify for the Irish graduate visa because they graduated from college in Ireland over 12 months ago. They might have a degree in psychology or marketing but they can’t find a U.S. employer to sponsor them,” she says.

If an employer has a choice between someone who has legal status or someone who needs to apply for a work visa, most employers are going to pick the easier route, she says.

“We’ve seen fathers who’ve left their families at home to come over here and work for a few months at a time. They make some money over a period and then return after three months or so.

“The question facing anyone coming here is, which is the lesser of two evils? To be sitting at home trying to figure out how to feed your kids next week -- or to be out here and earning enough money to support your family?

“It’s been so damaging to people who have been home on the dole (social welfare assistance) for the past year or two. It’s been absolutely soul destroying for a lot of people.”

Kelleher admits the Aisling Center has seen a spike in relationship issues where there’s stress on couples in terms of finances.

“For people for living here this country is suffering under the recession too. Domestic abuse is on the increase as family relationships are suffering,” she says.

In Yonkers the recession has also seen a spike in crime and random assaults, with burglary becoming increasingly frequent. There’s no question that times are tough for both the documented and the undocumented.

“We can’t really encourage someone who doesn’t have legal status to come out here. They should investigate other options first,” Kelleher says.

“Right now we’re anticipating that most intending immigrants in Ireland will hold off making their decision until after Christmas now. A lot like to stay for Christmas.

“We’ve brought out a moving to New York guide on our website because we’re answering so many queries every week. It provides answers to people who are emigrating before they leave so they’ll know what to expect.”

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