Support for returning Irish emigrants

A small team of 7 people based in Dublin, we provide general information, advocacy and referral support via a face-to-face drop-in service, by phone or email, and via our website. For Irish emigrants thinking of coming back to Ireland, we provide tailored information to support them to make an informed decision about their prospective return.  We advocate on behalf of people experiencing difficulties in accessing statutory assistance upon return, such as homeless and housing supports, social welfare payments, and medical cards. Many of the people we work with have returned in crisis - including families returning from conflict zones, deportees, former prisoners, Irish travellers, victims of domestic violence, and isolated older people.  

Picture below: Meeting Minister Ciaran Cannon in 2018, Crosscare Migrant Project’s Danielle McLaughlin (Policy Officer), Sarah Owen (Irish Abroad Networking Officer) and Richard King (Project Leader)

According to figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in August 2018, for the first time since 2009 more Irish emigrants are returning to Ireland than leaving.  The CSO’s Population and Migration estimates (below) show that in the year to April 2018 that there were 28,400 Irish nationals who came to Ireland, and 28,300 Irish nationals who emigrated from Ireland. The margin of difference between immigration and outward migration is quite small at just 100 people, but this is very much in keeping with our experience as we are seeing more and more people contacting us with queries about returning to Ireland.

People return to Ireland for many differents reasons, but in our experience family is often at the heart of this decision. With changes such as Brexit and the presidency in the USA, there is speculation that the numbers of returning Irish emigrants will increase, however there is a question as to whether all of those who return choose to stay in Ireland long term. We know that people who return can experience difficulties readjusting to life in Ireland, and through our work with returning Irish emigrants in vulnerable situations we are acutely aware of the challenges facing people who require emergency assistance upon return.

We work to raise these challenges as part of our social policy initiatives aiming to grow awareness and effect positive change at a higher level. Most recently in November 2018 we met the Joint Oireachtas Committee for the Department of Foreign Affairs (see above) to discuss the ongoing needs of returning Irish emigrants in Ireland alongside our Emigrant Support Programmed funded colleagues Safe Home Ireland and Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas. We have also just met with representatives of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to raise the findings of our ‘A hundred thousand welcomes?’ report into barriers to social welfare access for returned emigrants.