We're sad. "There are no doors they don't knock on" as NON-EU migrant health workers protest in Ireland
MPs from various political parties in Ireland and various organizations organized a protest meeting in front of the Irish Parliament at one o'clock on Tuesday, demanding family visas for non-EU immigrants and health care assistants who arrived in Ireland on a general employment permit.
Around 1,000 non-EU workers - mainly nurses from India and the Philippines working in roles below their qualifications - have been recruited to work as healthcare assistants (HCAs) in Ireland under a general work permit scheme in June 2021.
In Ireland, the majority of these workers are in the private sector, earning around €27,000 a year. The minimum salary required to apply for a visa for a spouse is €30,000, and €33,000 to bring a child. As more children come along, the salary range increases. This means that the law separates health care assistants from their families and children, leaving them "physically and mentally exhausted." Disqualify.
“These workers are mainly nurses, who are currently working below their qualifications and below the pay grade, and came to work as healthcare assistants in private nursing homes during the Covid-19 pandemic when workers were not available. They do essential work caring for our elderly and infirm, yet they are not allowed to bring their spouses or children here, many of whom are health workers and working to alleviate the health workforce." Activist and former TD Ruth Coppinger said she helped organize the protest because she felt workers were being mistreated and exploited by the government.
They want the HSE to pay equal wages to workers, which will put them above the visa threshold. Another "less desirable" option is to lower the income threshold to bring the family up to their current wage of €27,000. The group also wants husband and wife to be allowed to work in Ireland. According to various workers, the workers moved to Ireland in the hope that after a few months they could be brought back to Ireland. “We cannot bring our family here. Our hearts are broken and we are saddened. There are no doors they don't knock on
Migrant healthcare workers call for family reunification during a protest at Leinster House in Dublinhttps://t.co/fc0HKTwmEv
— The Irish News (@irish_news) October 17, 2023
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