McEntee tells newest citizens economy would 'contract' without them
Originally Living To Was Wellington A 'beautiful From Society Bee A In Cork, Part It And Said Bota, Of This Malawi Thing' Gareth Pictures: Chaney/collins Now
The Irish economy would “contract” if it were not for the contributions of migrant workers who moved to Ireland, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said, as she welcomed Ireland’s newest citizens on International Migrants Day.
It is an early Christmas present for more than 6,000 people from 142 countries, who are becoming Irish citizens across two days of ceremonies in Dublin this week.
Ms McEntee said it was important to recognise the contributions made by migrants and to highlight the challenges they will face.
“Without all the essential workers who have come to Ireland from overseas, patients in hospitals and care homes would be without nurses, without doctors, without workers to care for them,” she said.
“Our shops would struggle to open, our buses would not run, our tech sector would shrink, tourist services would fall, and our economy would contract — that is a fact. You contribute so much to our society,” the minister added.
Wellington Bota moved from Malawi to Cork in 2011 to study business and pharmaceutical sciences.
He told the he was encouraged by several Irish people living in his home country to try Ireland after he finished his studies.
He said he left because he wanted a change and had “not looked back since".
He now works in the pharmaceutical industry here, met his partner and has a 10-year-old son.
Mr Bota said it was a “beautiful thing” to become a part of this society and said he had a lot of Irish friends as well.
Mr Bota was filled with joy and big smiles as he received his Irish citizenship.
He now hopes to be able to visit Malawi soon and show his son the other side of his family.
Ms McEntee acknowledged that in Ireland, “we have always thought ourselves as a nation shaped by emigration, but one of the things that we have learned about migration is the extent to which it can shape a nation, in many different ways”.
She added Ireland was a very young nation where “thousands of people were forced to leave home for circumstances, many that were beyond their control”, and now there is a “source of great pride” for what those emigrants have contributed and helped in shaping the countries that they travelled to.
The ceremony also heard each person waiting to be conferred made a journey that differed from person to person.
Whether it was seeking a safe haven, working, living in an inclusive and progressive society, finding a “safe and secure place to put down roots and raise your family” or even love, the journey was different.
Thipa Roche, 40, who is originally from Thailand and now lives in Mallow, told the the main reason she wanted to become an Irish citizen was to stay with her husband who she fell in love with. She has two children who are aged 12 and six.
She expressed great love and gratitude to Ireland and said she was delighted to become a citizen.
While the new citizens were encouraged to bring their own culture and heritage to the country, Ms McEntee also assured that as new Irish citizens, Ireland had now made a “strong symbolic commitment" to those being honoured at the ceremonies.
“[A commitment] that resonates with our country’s history, with people at home and people abroad and a commitment that you will always have a home with us here,” she said.
After 53 years, Jane Dunlop finally became an Irish citizen this week. Originally from Surrey, in the United Kingdom, Ms Dunlop said she had “wanted to become an Irish citizen for a while, she just needed a kick".
Now living in Glasnevin, Ms Dunlop said having an Irish passport would make her life a lot easier to travel across Europe and see her family, who live in different parts of the world.
Ms Dunlop admitted that while thrilled and filled with excitement about the ceremonies, she only found out about it on Saturday evening but said she was lucky she only had to come to the Convention Centre.
Bojana Gardovic, who is originally from Serbia and moved to Ireland seven years ago, said getting Irish citizenship comes with a sense of relief.
Ms Gardovic left Serbia with her husband for his work and now lives in Drogheda with their three children aged 10, seven and four.
Her husband is a priest with the Serbian Orthodox Church and she said she had applied for Irish citizenship two years ago.
However, she got the letter of invitation to the citizenship ceremony before her husband, but is now "happy" she can now work.
The newly welcomed citizens pledged the Declaration of Fidelity to the Irish Nation and Loyalty to the State, which was carried out by the presiding officer retired Judge Mary Irvine on Monday and retired judge Paddy McMahon on Tuesday.
They also undertook to faithfully observe the laws of the State and to respect its democratic values.
About 173,000 people have received Irish citizenship since the ceremonies were introduced in 2011. There have been a total of 173 ceremonies with people from over 180 countries receiving their certificates of naturalisation.
More than 13,000 people will have been conferred as Irish citizens so far this year in six ceremonies across the year.
This week’s ceremonies at the Convention Centre in Dublin will be the last ones for 2023 and will see a total of 6,206 people become Irish citizens.