Minister John Curran T.D launches 'In the Front Line of Integration: Young People Managing Migration to Ireland'
02/02/2010
The Minister for Integration, John Curran T.D., today launched the Trinity Immigration Initiative and the Integration and Social Inclusion Centre of Ireland report In the Front Line of Integration: Young People Managing Migration to Ireland. This piece of work which is part of a wider project to encourage greater participation of immigrant youth in Irish society, has been funded through the European Integration Fund, which the Office of the Minister for Integration is the responsible authority for.
Speaking at the event the Minister said "Young people are the future and we all have a duty to ensure that they reach their full potential. To do this, educators, service providers and others who work with youth must listen to them, take their views on board and not make assumptions about what is in their best interests. This is particularly true for migrant youth who often have to make a lot of adjustments when they move to a new country - they must sometimes learn a new language, adapt to societal norms and negotiate their way around a different educational system. Their experiences and challenges will often be quite different to those of their parents and very young siblings."
A total of 169 young people aged 15-18 took part in this national study through participation in focus groups across the country. The young people discussed issues such as adjustment to life in Ireland, school life in Ireland, links with their cultural heritage, relations with Irish young people, work and further study in Ireland and their experience of racism.
The Minister continued "While there has been some fall off in the numbers of immigrants coming to Ireland, and evidence that others are returning to their country of origin, the numbers of immigrant children in our schools has not decreased. In fact, at post primary level, the numbers increased slightly. It is clear that the need for integration is not diminishing and reports like this remain important.
The findings from this research make for interesting reading. It is heartening to see that, for the majority of those interviewed their experiences have been largely positive. We can see from the research that many of the young people interviewed are ambitious and highly motivated to avail of the opportunities which Ireland offers them. It is important that this is widely acknowledged."
Speaking at the event the Minister said "Young people are the future and we all have a duty to ensure that they reach their full potential. To do this, educators, service providers and others who work with youth must listen to them, take their views on board and not make assumptions about what is in their best interests. This is particularly true for migrant youth who often have to make a lot of adjustments when they move to a new country - they must sometimes learn a new language, adapt to societal norms and negotiate their way around a different educational system. Their experiences and challenges will often be quite different to those of their parents and very young siblings."
A total of 169 young people aged 15-18 took part in this national study through participation in focus groups across the country. The young people discussed issues such as adjustment to life in Ireland, school life in Ireland, links with their cultural heritage, relations with Irish young people, work and further study in Ireland and their experience of racism.
The Minister continued "While there has been some fall off in the numbers of immigrants coming to Ireland, and evidence that others are returning to their country of origin, the numbers of immigrant children in our schools has not decreased. In fact, at post primary level, the numbers increased slightly. It is clear that the need for integration is not diminishing and reports like this remain important.
The findings from this research make for interesting reading. It is heartening to see that, for the majority of those interviewed their experiences have been largely positive. We can see from the research that many of the young people interviewed are ambitious and highly motivated to avail of the opportunities which Ireland offers them. It is important that this is widely acknowledged."
