Europe Immigration News

Speaking to Times Higher Education, the vice-chancellor of Ulster University, Paddy Nixon, has said an ‘all-Ireland’ work visa should be introduced for students after they graduate. Mr Nixon also urged the Irish and UK governments to tackle the challenges facing universities in the post-Brexit era.

Nixon argues that an all-Ireland visa would be a ‘compelling offer for students.’ In his opinion it would create what he describes as an ‘exclusive arrangement’ between Northern Ireland and the Republic. It would enable foreign students, graduating from any university in Ireland, to access a visa permitting them to find employment and stay in the country.

Ireland’s Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) is to investigate a man arrested by police in Limerick on suspicion of helping to orchestrate the London terror attacks on 3 June, 2017. Sources say that the man, found working as a chef in the city, was in possession of an identity paper number issued in the name of terrorist, Rachid Redouane.

In an unprecedented move, the European Union has taken steps to enforce pro-migrant sanctions against three member states – the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. According to a report published by the Centre for Research on Globalization, the three countries targeted have refused the demands of Brussels to accept Greek and Italian-based migrants.

As nations across Europe, including the UK, clampdown on the number of non-EU workers entering their countries and Donald Trump in the US promises even tougher immigration controls, Switzerland has announced that it will issue an extra 1,000 work permits to immigrants from outside of the European Union. From 2017, the Swiss government will make 7,500 B and L permits available to non-EU workers.

A new online appointment system introduced by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service had been pulled offline after experiencing high volume traffic levels. The new system, which went live on Thursday, 8 September, 2016, aims to end the long queues, which occur at the immigration registration office on Burgh Quay, Dublin.  We understand that it is now operational.

According to a report published by the Irish Times, more than 100 foreign nationals queued outside the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (Inis) in Dublin on Thursday, 11 August, hoping to secure an Irish work permit or study visa. The queue for the Inis office on Burgh Quay stretched around the block as people waited for doors to open at 8am. 

The Irish government will plough €1.9 million into a new initiative aimed at attracting top tech talent to the country. The drive to employ foreign IT workers on Irish work permits comes as Ireland continues to see supply lag behind demand in the labour market.