Dublin: Ireland’s immigrant community has launched a new national campaign to demand a reduction in fees for the Irish Residence Permit Card.
The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland has just launched the “Fair Fees” campaign for the Irish Residence Permit (IRP). Immigrants arriving in Ireland face exorbitant costs for IRP cards. The public is urging the government to impose an IRP (Garda Card) fee comparable to that of renewing a passport (€75) or driving licence (€55).
The IRP card currently costs 300 Euros, and the same amount must be paid as a fee each time it is renewed. When a similar permit costs €16 in Greece, €20 in Austria, €42 in Switzerland, and €80 in Luxembourg, the ‘exploitative nature’ of Ireland’s fees is highlighted.
When the IRP (Garda Card) fee was first introduced in 2006, the fee was €100. It increased to €150 after two years. In 2012, that amount was doubled to €300 and has not been reviewed since.
In response to a parliamentary question, the Justice Minister revealed that it would only cost the country €20.44 to produce and distribute each card.
‘A 10-year passport costs €75 and a driving licence costs €55, but the shocking reality is that an IRP card costs €300,’ said Liji Zhao, spokesperson for the Fair Fees Campaign Group. It costs only 20 Euros in total to issue it. It is predatory and unnecessary. campaign leaders say.
Immigrants are struggling to make ends meet in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, and such high fees make matters worse.
Non-EU workers in Ireland, such as nurses, chefs, engineers, IT specialists, agri-food workers, truck drivers, and international students, must pay an IRP card fee every year. An applicant with refugee status, under 18 years of age, resident, married to an Irish citizen, and a family member of an EU citizen is exempt from the fee.
Students from India are the most vulnerable to this fee trap. It is unfortunate that no relaxation is given even to international students.
Heather Humphreys, Minister for Social Protection, has previously stated that there are no plans to reduce fees or extend the validity period of the Garda Card. It is against this backdrop that non-EU workers and migrants living in Ireland have launched a new campaign to change the government’s mind.
You too can join the mission https://www.mrci.ie/fairfees/
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