The Department of Justice is making huge loot in the name of fees for IRP registration cards
Dublin: Allegations have surfaced against the Department of Justice in Ireland, accusing it of imposing exorbitant fees for migrant registration cards. The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) has highlighted that the government charges €300 per person for a migrant registration card, despite the actual cost being only €20.50. This fee applies to various professions, including nurses, carers, and workers in meat factories and farms.
Comparatively, other European countries impose significantly lower fees. For instance, Austria charges €20, while Greece charges just €16. The fee escalates to €40 in Switzerland and €80 in Luxembourg. In Ireland, the fee was doubled in 2012 as part of financial austerity measures, but no revisions have been made since then.
The staggering sum collected by the Department of Justice from these fees is alarming, amounting to €71 million in the past year alone and totaling €318 million over the past decade. Despite costing only €22 million to process and distribute the cards, the government faces significant delays in renewal procedures.
Notably, the same fee applies for both initial registration and renewal, imposing a recurring burden on non-EU migrants over the age of 18, who must pay €300 annually to remain in the country. However, MRCI contends that the issuance of an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card costs a fraction of this amount, at €20.50.
Last September, MRCI presented a petition signed by 14,000 individuals to Justice Minister Helen McEntee, urging a reduction in the fee. Despite assurances from the minister and widespread public support, including thousands of readers from Irish Malayali News, the promised review and subsequent reduction have not materialised.
The failure to address this issue has sparked frustration and disappointment among migrant communities and advocacy groups, who continue to press for action to alleviate the financial burden imposed by these excessive fees.
Irish Samachar English News
{OR} Kindly click to follow the Irish Samachar News channel on WhatsApp