First one we've had in a while so I thought, perfect occasion to sit outside with a cup of coffee (still a little chilly on this side of the Atlantic) and update my blog.
This summer I'm interning with the Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI) in Dublin, and I have to say, I love it! The Irish have been lovely hosts and have welcomed an additional intern with open arms.
To start, let me give a bit of background on the organization. The ICI is an NGO and independent law center in Dublin, specifically focused on providing information on immigration, promoting change in immigration law and policy, anti-human trafficking, anti-racism and integration. Saying this, it's a smaller organization so everything the ICI is involved in, is for a strategic legislative purpose.
My role at the ICI is two-fold. On Monday and Tuesdays I work on the Information Referral Line. Aside from training sessions with other organizations throughout the country, the referral line is the main source of contact with migrants seeking assistance. Open four days a week, this line is staffed with interns and staff members alike and takes calls from anyone looking for help!
After two short days of training, I jumped in and started taking calls. Even though I don't see these people face-to-face, it's a great experience listening to their situation and helping through the legal/policy immigration process. I say legal/policy because a lot of Irish immigration "law" is not actually legal; in fact, in many situations individuals associated with members of other EU States have more legal rights than those associated with Irish citizens. The Irish immigration policies are generally very discretionary and confusing to those who do not understand how the system works.
The referral line is generally fairly non-stop calls. It runs for two and half hour periods and I might only have a minute or two in between each call. The breaks in between are generally spent ringing back people whose situations I had to research further before giving them information. The calls I take vary from the most simple to the most complex. In some situations I have to weed through what one's immigration status is over many years of different statuses and periods of being undocumented-not to mention, the immigration policies change rather frequently so an individual might hold an immigration status that no longer exists!
That's essentially my work with the information referral line. On Wednesdays there is a legal team meeting where any recent changes to immigration law/policy are discussed as well as any complex queries received over the referral line.
After this meeting, I spend the rest of my week on the anti-human trafficking side of the ICI. I have to say, before my internship, I had no idea how extensive and horrifying the human trafficking world is! My role with anti-human trafficking includes research and writing for policy papers and letters to government officials. I also assist with clients the legal team can't take on directly. I might go with a trafficking victim to an investigatory interview with the Garda (Irish police) or assist her to write a letter to immigration.
Another aspect of my work with the anti-human trafficking team is assisting with their current campaign- Turn Off the Red Light (check it out at turnofftheredlight.ie). This campaign asks for legislation to criminalize the purchase of sex and decriminalize its selling. The rationale behind the campaign, is human trafficking is driven by the prostitution industry. By eliminating/diminishing the industry through criminalization of purchase, there will be less human trafficking. This concept was developed in Sweden a few years ago and has had a very positive effect. In a couple weeks we are briefing the newly-elected Irish Senate on our campaign and asking for their support.
Despite it being summer, I've come to Ireland at a very interesting time. Just recently the entire government was replaced and the newly elected TDs (representatives) and senators seem to be responding to NGOs insistences. Just last week, the Minister for Justice announced a change to the naturalization process that will result in a streamlined application process. We're hopeful that naturalization applications will now be decided in a short 6 months as opposed to the 2-5 year process now in place.
So that's Dublin and the ICI so far. I'll be sure to update soon on our campaign status and any interesting immigration issues I come across. For now, I better pack up and head inside because it's already started to rain!
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