TAOISEACH Micheal Martin has promised the Government will keep fighting to land an agreement for undocumented Irish people living in the United States.
There’s over 50,000 undocumented Irish living and working in the US, according to figures reported by American TV network CNN back in 2017.
And there are fears among the undocumented Irish in the US that they could be sent packing as President Donald Trump ramps up his campaign against illegal immigrants in the country.
Many of them have made their lives in America and have jobs and families after remaining in the US after their 90-day visa waiver scheme expired.
Addressing the issue, Taoiseach Martin said: “It has been very challenging for those who are undocumented in terms of their security and their lives.
“Many have established families and so forth there.
“But we would always be anxious and what we have always been seeking has been a legal channel where we could create opportunities for people to live in the US and vice versa for Americans living in Ireland.
“The problem is that that has been the case for a considerable length of time.
“I was involved in that in an earlier time when I was Foreign Minister, in terms of creating the work holiday programme, for example, which can then lead to visas for permanent work.
“It is quite limited but we managed to negotiate that and renegotiate it recently when I was Foreign Minister again.
“I think that is the most effective way to deal with this.”
The Fianna Fail leader added: “It has been very hard to get agreement in the House of Representatives for the past two decades on the undocumented.
“We were very unlucky not to be part of the Australian visa system – we lost by one vote in the Senate.”
“But we will continue to raise the issues and we will continue to advocate on behalf of Irish citizens.”
He also said the Irish Government would work with President Trump and his administration in the years ahead as had been done in the past.
