120,0000 people will leave Ireland in 2010 and 2011 new figures show. Many will be heading to the United States where local immigration activists say even those who are coming her illegally are getting work.
Ciaran Staunton, of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform in New York told the Sunday Independent that illegals are coming to America in large numbers and getting work.
"We've all heard the stories about the hardships of people living illegally out here and what it's like but the truth is, if you want to get away from all the problems in Ireland at the moment, and pay your mortgage or your credit card bill or whatever it is for a few years, it can be done out here.
"There are jobs for people here even if they come over illegally." Celine Kennelly of the San Francisco Irish Immigration Pastoral Centre said most find work within days of arrival.
"None of the illegals here are out of work. They are all earning money and doing ok for themselves. There are problems for people if they want to stay here long term because every time you go home, you might not be allowed back into the country. You're not allowed to get a driver's licence and that causes a lot of problems for people.
She told the Sunday Independent that " in the short term it is an alternative that people can consider."
"Most people don't come here intending to settle down.
"They come over to get a job and make some money but then they meet someone and start a family or they get used to being here and it becomes their new home and it becomes harder to leave."
New statistics quoted in The Irish Times showed that in the 12 months to April 2010, 65,300 people left the country, a figure close to the 70,600 people who emigrated in 1989.
Most are bound for Australia, Canada, Britain, New Zealand and the US.
The US numbers are difficult to quantify because of the illegal issue but anecdotal evidence is strong that numbers of Irish are increasing significantly.
34 Comments
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.GeorgeDillon | Dec 31, 2010, 02:29 AM EST
ancavker: The same thing seems to be happening in Ireland. It seems like in both countries there are lots of jobs, but for whatever reason they are not being taken up by the natives. In the case of the US, though, I think a lot of the jobs are in informal economies in the NorthEast, while the endemic unemployment is in the Mid West and South, areas where few Irish get to. There is no such pattern in Ireland, where you see lots of foreigners in the most remote villages. Still, the question does deserve a lot more study. Unfortunately our universities here and in Ireland are hand-in-hand with the immigration lobbies.
ancavker | Dec 30, 2010, 10:06 AM EST
I still do not undestand how and where they are getting jobs here, with so many of our own unemployed.
esatdigiwank | Dec 30, 2010, 05:46 AM EST
WK: as i'm looking at this now, comments scrolling down as far as the 27th are visible. any new posts i submit manifest shortly afterwards.
STUMPTOWN | Dec 29, 2010, 06:17 PM EST
Any person that comes into a country unlawfully is a ILLEGAL. ILLEGALS are not only criminal but also a liblity of that given country. When one robs a bank, is that a undocumented withdrawal? CALL A SPADE A SPADE.
WoundedKnee | Dec 29, 2010, 09:36 AM EST
esatdig: How do you manage to check posts after they appear? I'd like to know, as I occasionally miss a typo or whatever.
esatdigiwank | Dec 29, 2010, 06:27 AM EST
Wounded Knee: "So you think that many Irish people know enough Irish to swear in the language? " oh for crying out loud! pls revert back to my first post;thats Not What I'm Saying!! I plainly said: "Indeed, we are even incapable of swearing/cursing through our own native tongue",,, our native tongue is or was Irish/Gaeilge, Gaelic..*HMPH* ! *fUME* aRE you incapable of d e c i p h e r i n g my point of view? purrrlease.
GeorgeDillon | Dec 28, 2010, 03:12 PM EST
MarthaAnne, good post. Unfortunately bigots and racists are not hard to find, especially among the Irish. On this site we have such posters, sirpeter aka antoman. This guy said he favored immigration, as long as it was of white people. No cabe duda, ese racista sirpeter/antoman es un hijo de puta. Que se friegue.
MarthaAnne | Dec 28, 2010, 02:40 PM EST
Sorry, I spelled your name wrong - Madeleine.
MarthaAnne | Dec 28, 2010, 02:39 PM EST
Kudos to Kevinhayes for challenging that bizarre and woefully uninformed post by Madeleine. Madeline, you don't even have your facts right. Is it too much trouble for you to learn the actual facts about the new health care legislation, even if you don't agree with it?
MarthaAnne | Dec 28, 2010, 02:34 PM EST
OK, here goes: It was my grandparents who emigrated from Ireland, so I am really very American and not Irish. However, I love Irish people and the entire culture and don't judge the illegal immigrants from Ireland, not knowing each person's circumstances. But, what really bothers me is that, from reading most of the posts, some of the people who say they welcome the Irish illegal immigrants, or who say that there is plenty of work for them here, etc., in other words, not condemning them for coming here, well, some of these very same posters would not be so openly welcome to THE PEOPLE WHO COME FROM DESPERATE POVERTY IN LATIN AMERICA. The people from Mexico and many parts of Central and South America are running from situations that are far worse than experienced in Ireland, even today, with the horrific debt crisis and unemployment. I really find it sickening to hear some Irish Americans - not necessarily here, but those I meet - who won't allow for passage of the Dream Act or a path to citizenship to illegal immigrants already here, but who might turn a blind eye to the illegal Irish immigrants. If the illegal immigrant speaks Spanish and has dark skin, oh, get rid of her! But, "we welcome the Irish, legal or not".
WoundedKnee | Dec 28, 2010, 02:27 PM EST
seamusmoore has threatened me with being murdered by the IRA in South Armagh. I have reported seamusmoore's death threat made against me. I don't expect Irish Central to do much about it, because they allow this kind of abuse to fester unchecked until it goes to its logical extreme--a death threat by seamusmoore. However, regardless of Irish Central's failure to police this site, all posters should be aware of this death threat by seamus moore.
kevinhayes | Dec 28, 2010, 12:14 PM EST
Madeline - "we had the best health care in the world until Obamacare which costs more than private care". Where to start with a typically really ignorant comment like that? It is so wrong on so many levels and sounds like a comment from someone who spends a dangerous amount of time listening to poisonous talk radio and the dis-information on Fox News. Suffice it to say, the comparison between Obamacare (which is private care) and private care cannot be made until 2014. Madeline, educate yourself on the topic and stop being another cog in the right wing lying propaganda machine. In 20 years the Republicans will not be calling it Obamacare and will be trying to claim it as their own.
ancavker | Dec 28, 2010, 11:37 AM EST
monaghanjack: Really sad that so many Irish consider the language useless, but you are right, they do. Not only do they consider it useless, but they have utter contempt for it, as well as anythong Irish. So at the end of the day the English won. There may be a silly little republic in the south,anfd the bizzare little northern welfare statelet, but at the end of the day, the English won. In fact I would say, the Irish are more English than the English.
WoundedKnee | Dec 28, 2010, 07:08 AM EST
esatdigiwank: So you think that many Irish people know enough Irish to swear in the language? You truly are living in a fool's fantasy.
dan Breen | Dec 28, 2010, 06:48 AM EST
The mexicans have replace the Irish.
esatdigiwank | Dec 28, 2010, 04:41 AM EST
Madeleine: the UN control yer water? Pls explain that one, thanks
esatdigiwank | Dec 28, 2010, 04:39 AM EST
quote:"If that's what you meant you're talking tripe. 99 out of a hundred Irish couldn't come up with a good swear word in Gaelic" Woundedknee - Irish is Gaelic! you've just emphatically proved my point, so i'm not talking tripe!
Johnnyclash | Dec 28, 2010, 12:45 AM EST
Plenty of good jobs in the San Francisco bay area for anyone willing to do them, and the weather is great.
sirpeter | Dec 27, 2010, 07:40 PM EST
Georgy..If you have no respect for the Irish why are you on this site?..Do you have to be a pr*ck with every post you scribble.To be honest I think you are a brainless worthless piece of Sh*t.You don't or can't even make an effort to post something coherent.
Madeleine | Dec 27, 2010, 04:46 PM EST
The Irish are welcome in America, they always have been We welcome all immigrants who want to live and work and assimilate but also keep their own culture and let us keep ours. I don't know where londonirish is getting the idea that America is for partying youngsters, if you want to have a career this is where most people come,not Ireland. the East Indians thrive here as do people from the philipines, the UN brings as many foreigners in as they can squeeze in, unfortunately we are losing more Americans everyday to Canada and their own families birth places. America is going through a difficult time right now and there are just as many Americans out of work here as there is in Ireland, sending our whole shoe Industry to china didnt' help, we all wear shoes, why would we do that? we don't know.I have always had a lot of Irish friends, they have been coming here for years and made a good life for themselves, even the illegals, we had the best health care in the world until Obamacare which costs more than private care.We are losing homes on a daily basis because the UN is controlling our water and our country and they don't believe in home ownership, thats what its all about, that and a one world bank. These things are beyond our control and its not because of anything the Irish or the partying Americans are doing. I would welcome any Irish into America, they are nice people but I think they would be going from the frying pan into the fire, it might still be better job wise though but I can't understand how they are finding work when Americans can't.still, I wish them luck. My husband has family in Wexford and they seem to be doing OK. Lets hope better days are coming for all of us.
londonirish1965 | Dec 27, 2010, 03:36 PM EST
America is for youngsters who want to party and work to pay for the booze and drugs.Anyone serious about a career or working to pay bills or support family will go to England or Europe,where you get healthcare and decent pay, conditions and holidays.
JeffGallagher | Dec 27, 2010, 02:31 PM EST
Patrick Cooper, don't predicate your statement regarding illegal immigration with a lie; the illegal Irish that come here to American will, in all likelihood, remain here unless they are found by Immigration and deported. Unlike the latin american illegal, if an Irishman chooses to fight his deportation, he or she is likely to end up jailed until they get a disposition on their case. Latins are usually just freed with a "promise" to show up in court. Likely.....not. The truth is, no matter how much I idealize my grandfather's homeland, they need to fix their problems. Those who immigrate here illegally, should pay the price. Legal immigrants? Welcome, one and all, but let us run our country and you run yours.
monaghanjack | Dec 27, 2010, 02:03 PM EST
In Belfast we have always laughed at the "pretend-Gaelic" speakers. Recently I attended a "Feile an Phobail" gathering attended by Gerry Adams & he was amazed that I, a real-Irish speaker, did not understand the garbage that he & his colleagues were uttering. The fact is, the younger people do not want to speak a useless language if they are not into Education, as I am.
WoundedKnee | Dec 27, 2010, 01:51 PM EST
esatdig; "Indeed, we are even incapable of swearing/cursing through our own native tongue". Do you mean in English? Well, big deal, though you are right that the Irish curse a lot. Or maybe you meant in Irish? If that's what you meant you're talking tripe. 99 out of a hundred Irish couldn't come up with a good swear word in Gaelic. Ask the ones that post here--I bet they can't.
esatdigiwank | Dec 27, 2010, 01:39 PM EST
"very little distinctive Irish culture"..Indeed, we are even incapable of swearing/cursing through our own native tongue. Now how responsible was the role of the rc church for killing off that ability (digression)? "..Australia, Canada, Britain, NZ, US" : how predictable..
WoundedKnee | Dec 27, 2010, 12:17 PM EST
donal: What distinguishes this "new strain of modern Irish culture" from British culture? Or even our own US culture? The young Irish I see appear to maintain very little distinctive Irish culture.
donal1951 | Dec 27, 2010, 11:11 AM EST
The Irish undocumented worker has the advantage over many others because of fluency in English. But the federal government is cracking down on employers who hire illegals, so it's not risk-free. I personally welcome them as they bring with them a strong work ethic and a new strain of modern Irish culture. I wish we would change the USA's immigration policy to favor those with skills we need and to give great weight to the ability to speak English. This would help not only the Irish, but many Indians and Pakistanis as well. It would also help many Europeans for whom English is a strong second language, such as folks from the Netherlands, and Asians, such as Filippinos.
Barbaracvm | Dec 27, 2010, 10:57 AM EST
An illegal is an illegal, whether he is from Mexico or Ireland it is all the same. If Ireland would stop paying all the expenses of the retirees the working people would have more money for themselves.
CitizenWhy | Dec 27, 2010, 10:32 AM EST
Sadly, the people Ireland is losing are skilled and hard working and personable, easy to employ or get good paying construction projects. You know, people who would be good taxpayers. What's left? Tax-evading rich people, a smaller middle class within a shrinking economy doomed to austerity to pay off foreign banks, and a growing underclass that lives separately from the culture of work.
CitizenWhy | Dec 27, 2010, 10:26 AM EST
GeorgeDillon calls Irish emigrants worthless. Perhaps many see the government the Irish people choose to elect as worthless, with its corrupt, cozy politics, selling out the Irish people to help bail out privately owned German, British and French banks. My own parents left Ireland long ago not for economic reasons but because they thought the country was going in the wrong direction politically, abandoning ideas and ideals for cozy relationships and small mindedness. With that said, my relatives in Ireland, like many others, are prosperous, but they have shunned politics and never participated in the recent real estate speculation or took big spending sprees abroad. They are the kind who could easily buy a fancy car but might prefer to have a horse outside instead. and give to charity and spend on culture and help needy neighbors and develop productive farms and businesses.
GeorgeDillon | Dec 27, 2010, 10:16 AM EST
Sweeneyastray--Welcome the Irish for a permanent stay??? No way !!! Let them fix their own messed-up country.
Sweeneyastray | Dec 27, 2010, 09:47 AM EST
After all is said and done, we welcome the Irish one and all, for a temporary or permanent stay. Carpe Diem.
antoman | Dec 27, 2010, 09:03 AM EST
Is there a single Miss McCain available in the States? I quite like the idea of getting shackled with a woman that owns a brewery.
GeorgeDillon | Dec 27, 2010, 07:18 AM EST
The strange thing is that Irish illegals in the US will be happy to work as security guards, taxi drivers, sales clerks, airport check-in staff, baggage handlers, barmen, waitresses. Etc. Etc. But these are just the jobs the Irish consider "beneath" them in their own country. The jobs that are now being taken in Ireland by African, Polish, Indian etc. settlers. The Irish won't take them in Ireland but will grab these jobs in the USA. I for one have no sympathy for them; these Irish abandon their country and allow it to be settled by foreigners. They're worthless.