The report by Crosscare Migrant Project on new Irish emigrants to the Britain indicates that the collapse of the construction industry continues to be a major reason for emigration and that families are finding themselves split by negative equity mortgage traps.
The report, published by the social care agency of the Dublin Archdiocese, also shows that Irish emigrants are not aware of their entitlements to welfare supports in Britain.
The report is based on interviews conducted at Busáras Bus Station in Dublin with people queuing for buses to Leeds and London.
Policy officer with Crosscare Migrant Project, Joe O'Brien said, “While some of the people we spoke to had pre-arranged employment or had family connections, it was concerning that many had virtually no knowledge of entitlements in the UK. Those with no pre-arranged employment or social connections in the UK are at particular risk of falling into vulnerable situations or even destitution.”
The report looks at ten case studies of Irish people leaving for Britain.
O'Brien commented, “We know that some people have to leave the country to support burdensome Irish mortgages, because the property crash now means that the family home is unsellable. The result is not that a family has to leave Ireland, but rather that a family is split with one parent emigrating to support a mortgage for a home that is unsellable.”
The report also found that some people are commuting between Ireland and Britain, rather than emigrating in the traditional long-term sense.
Mr O'Brien warned against such commuting migrants not preparing adequately and said, “While the UK can be easier and cheaper to travel to than some parts of Ireland, it is a different country and of course still has a variety of different systems that some people may not have prepared for.”