Paul Murphy calls for broader regularisation of undocumented people

Paul Murphy addressed the regularisation scheme for undocumented people that opened on Monday, arguing that thousands are excluded from its eligibility criteria. He urged the Government to amend the scheme to include those currently excluded, insisting the scheme be made more inclusive.

Key exclusions

The regularisation scheme excludes people who have been temporarily documented within the last four years, those whose student permissions have expired, and people on temporary visas who currently have cases in the EU Treaty Rights Division. Paul Murphy said these specific categories amount to thousands of people who should be able to avail of the scheme but presently cannot.

Appeal for amendment

Paul Murphy described the scheme as welcome but argued it must be amended to cover those left out by the current rules. He pointed to the scheme being described as a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity and appealed to the Government to ensure it reaches all eligible undocumented people.

Government response

A responding deputy acknowledged the points raised and said the scheme is progressive and important. The deputy stated that migration policy is evolving, that the scheme is groundbreaking relative to past approaches, and that it will be evaluated as it is rolled out.

Evaluation and rollout

The responding deputy said lessons can be learned during implementation and that further analysis can clarify the true situation for the groups identified. Paul Murphy pressed for amendments to ensure those currently excluded are included as the scheme progresses.