Advocacy & Campaigns

Equality is the foundation upon which all Doras Luimni work is based and the role of this office is identify inequalities experienced by migrants and to advocate for change.Since the migrant sector has an established group of national level organisations one aim of Doras is to support national advocacy campaigns through collaboration with other organisations.

A unique factor for Doras is that the majority of such organisations are based in Dublin and most focus on a subset of the migrant sector. Doras on the other hand offers support to all migrants as well as the indigenous population. By our presence in Limerick outside the services hub of Dublin many of the issues that are encountered in our offices are quite distinct from the experience of Dublin based migrants. We can thus lend an important alternative voice to such campaigns.

This office endeavours to articulate the relevant national position of other NGO’s at the local level through engagement with local public representatives, the media and specific related events. A second aim of Doras is to raise awareness through general local advocacy around issues that are specific to this region. The five Direct Provision centres in the region makes the issues affecting the lives of asylum seekers a live concern for the region.

A second key issue is the impact the downturn in the economy is having on the Midwest which is higher than the national average. This in turn impacts greatly on migrant workers whose livelihoods are being affected and do not have access to the supports of others in the general population. This office highlights such issues by sitting on a service provider forum whilst also engaging with local policy developers such as councillors, TDs and MEPs.



Current areas of concentration:

Direct Provision: 10 Years On
Media Representation of Migrant Workers
Racism in the Workplace
Particular Vulnerabilities of some Migrant Women
Capacity of Support Services to assist their diverse client group.

 

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Issues for Concern for Doras Luimni May 2010

 

pdficon Response to Regeneration

 

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Response to the McCarthy Report

 

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Midwest Taskforce Interim Report

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Enabling Violence Against Women: A Critique of Irish Immigration Residency Stamps

Habitual Residence Condition
An issue of concern that is impacting directly on Doras Luimní clients is the Habitual Residency Condition clause attached to accessing social welfare and state supports. Many people in need of such support are being denied it and thus being placed in precarious positions due to interpretation and implementation of this element of the criteria to gain assistance. Doras Luimní have joined with Crosscare, FLAC, Vincentian Refugee Centre and the MRCI to raise awareness of this issue.

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Briefing Paper on Immigrants Rights to Social Welfare in Ireland

 

 

Integration and Education

Doras Luimni has an ongoing campaign to ensure equality within the Irish education system and to enable real integration within education to take place. There are a number of different areas within this campaign: -

Direct advocacy to the various Ministers with responsibility for the different levels of Education,

Dialogue with education providers in Limerick,

Collaboration with the University of Limerick examining how the Majority become the Minority in Irish Education.

The attached booklet based on research done in Limerick in 2008 and its subsequent findings - Barriers to Education