Immigrants Lobby Minister Lenihan

Immigrants who are trying to make a new life in Ireland lobbied the Minister of state responsible for their care on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Integration Policy Conor Lenihan, T.D., visited the Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI) to meet its clients and hear their complaints and experiences.

The council also briefed the minister on working with migrants during his visit to its Dublin headquarters.

The ICI is a national, independent non-government agency. The mission of the ICI is to promote the rights of migrants and their families, including the provision of information, legal advice and lobbying for political and legislative change.

The organisation has lobbied on issues as diverse as domestic violence to labour migration.

At the launch of the ICI general election manifesto spokeswoman Denise Charlton said immigration and integration would shape Irish society for years to come and she urged a new government to ensure there was long term planning to deal with the social, infrastructural and economic issues.