MAYNOOTH - 8 March 2007 - 540 words
Church
calls for US immigration reform to protect 'undocumented' Irish
Fr Alan Hilliard, Director of the Irish Episcopal Commission of
Emigrants (IECE), attended a rally in Washington DC yesterday,
calling for immigration reform on behalf of the 'undocumented'
Irish in the United States.
Speaking before the rally organised by the Irish Lobby for Immigration
Reform (ILIR), Fr Alan Hilliard said: "Time is of the essence
in relation to the effectiveness of this campaign. If a pathway
to legalisation fails to appear this year, it will be hard to
offer real hope to the many Irish who are currently stuck in a
legal quandary in the US. Today, many Irish are here on behalf
of friends and relatives and they just want to make an honest,
open contribution for the good of America - the place many now
call home."
Fr Hilliard said: "Keeping faith in the objectives of immigration
reform is vital at this time. It is great to see so many here
today speaking - not just for the Irish - but who are lending
their voices to the many who seek an opportunity to contribute
to this nation. When the of the Bishop of Derry and Chair of
the IECE, Bishop Séamus Hegarty, visited Washington and
other US cities in 2005, he expressed a concern that so few of
the 'undocumented' had their voices heard. Today's rally is an
example of people taking responsibility for their own futures,
and while this has not been easy, it is both necessary and commendable."
Fr Hilliard continued: "The pastoral welfare of the 'undocumented'
is to the forefront of our concern. The Irish Apostolate has
coordinated 110 visits over the last year to various members of
the Senate and of the House of Representatives. At times we have
shared these visits with other Catholic and interfaith groups
which support our stance regarding the pathway to legalisation.
After this rally we will continue with these visits. We will
keep up the pressure and talk, not only to those who support our
stance, but also to those who may need some encouragement to support
our stance.
"While the economic reality indicates that the United States
needs migrant labour, as a society it must also effectively protect
and provide for the safety of its people. This is also a priority
for the people here today who, in many cases, are themselves parents.
They too are looking for safety and security for the sake of
both their children and of future generations.
"One flaw of the immigration reform of the 1980s was a lack
of clear communication of rights and this was coupled with the
propagation of misinformation. Partly - perhaps due to living
on the fringes of society - many were uncertain, nervous and were
consequently afraid to come forward. Many immigrants did not
fully understand what was available to them. However, on this
occasion we will provide information to those in need so that
they can make informed decisions. What must be avoided are 'enticements'
and other so called 'quick-fix' solutions which will be advertised
by some unscrupulous people whose motive is profit and whose style
is to prey on the vulnerable. We are presently upgrading our Irish
Apostolate website to enable browsers to access the legislative
changes, if and when they happen, as they become available online."
Fr Hilliard said: "Yesterday, members of our Apostolate met
with the Catholic Legal Immigration Network to discuss the implementation
of whatever legislation is put in place. Despite the uncertainty,
we have to live with the expectation that legislative change will
happen and, please God, a pathway of hope will open up."
Fr Hilliard concluded: "I thank the ILIR for organising this
event. I wish also to pay a special tribute to the staff of the
Apostolate and Coalition centres around America. It is an honour
to serve with you. I thank the Congressmen and politicians from
Ireland who are so generous in their support of immigration reform.
However, if I wish to particularly acknowledge one group here
today it is you: you who have no legal status and yet have taken
the risk to step out of the shadows."
The Irish Bishops' Conference established a dedicated service
in 1957 the Irish Episcopal Commission for Emigrants (IECE)
to help co-ordinate pastoral support for Irish emigrants
in the UK. Based in Maynooth this outreach (Chaplaincies) service
now extends to Germany, the USA (New York, Boston, Chicago, San
Francisco, Philadelphia); and Australia. The Irish Apostolate
is the service provided by the Irish Bishop's Commission for Emigrants
in the United States. Please see the website of the Irish
Apostolate: www.usairish.org
The Catholic Legal Immigration Network
was established in 1988 by the United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops as an organization to support a rapidly growing network
of community-based immigration programmes in the US. Its mission
is: "To enhance and expand delivery of legal services to
indigent and low-income immigrants principally through diocesan
immigration programs and to meet the immigration needs identified
by the
Catholic Church in the United States."
The objectives of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' immigration reform campaign are:
- To educate the public, especially the
Catholic community, including Catholic public officials, about
church teaching
on migration and immigrants;
- To create political will for positive immigration reform;
- To enact legislative and administrative reforms based on the
principles in the pastoral letter Strangers no Longer:
Together on the Journey of Hope, which was jointly published
with the Mexican Bishop's Conference in 2003;
- To organize Catholic networks to assist qualified immigrants
in obtaining the benefits of the reforms.
There are an estimated 50,000 'Undocumented' Irish immigrants
living in the United States.
Source: Irish Catholic Media Office
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