Cowen wants illegal Irish to leave the US

By RONALD QUINLAN


Sunday July 20 2008

Brian Cowen believes the undocumented Irish in America should return to Ireland to apply for new visas, in their bid for legal status there.

In a comprehensive interview with the Sunday Independent, former US congressman and long time advocate of the Irish immigrant lobby, Bruce Morrison, said that Mr Cowen "understands and is committed" to what he termed the "leaving and coming back" model, which applied to the Morrison and Donnelly visa programmes in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Speaking on the phone from New York last Friday night, Mr Morrison revealed the Taoiseach's thinking on the matter when asked how hopeful he and Mr Cowen were that there would be a resolution to the emotive question of the undocumented Irish in America. He said: "It's more than an emotive subject. It is very much a humanitarian problem.

"There will be a solution. The question is how soon and in what ways. One of the focal points of the work, which certainly the Taoiseach understands, and is committed to, is leaving and coming back, a model which worked before with Morrison visas and Donnelly visas.''

"When one leaves, one is no longer an illegal. So opportunities for the waiver of past violations in the context of new visa opportunities is certainly something that would continue to be part of the advocacy," he added.

The other elements of that advocacy, according to Mr Morrison, involve what he termed a "three-legged stool" approach, which he said Mr Cowen favours.

The three elements of this strategy, should they be implemented, would see opportunities for Americans to come to Ireland to work, enhanced opportunities for Irish citizens to work in the US legally and a resolution to the undocumented Irish in America.

Mr Morrison explained that the solution to the undocumented Irish could come either as what he called part of a broad resolution for other undocumented communities or as a targeted response to the Irish specifically.

Commenting on Mr Cowen's approach to the future of relations between Ireland and the US in terms of immigration, Mr Morrison was decidedly upbeat.

"The Taoiseach was very forthright in saying that he considered the issue of immigration to the United States from Ireland and from the United States to Ireland to be a very important subject to him," he said.

Asked if he believed Mr Cowen had given personal consideration to the immigration issue, or if he believed he was merely continuing to pursue the policies of previous Irish governments, Mr Morrison said: "Anybody who knows Brian Cowen knows that he has thought long and hard about most things, that he comes to his views carefully and hard-headedly.

"When he thinks he has a right answer, he's not afraid to pursue it.

"I'm very heartened by his analysis, which I think is spot on."

And when asked if Mr Cowen had adopted a listening or a speaking approach on the issue of immigration in his meetings with the Irish American lobby, Mr Morrison said: "Well, he was in a room full of people who don't have a habit of staying silent, but he made a presentation up front which really made people feel he didn't need a lot of education. He just needed to be affirmed in what he was saying."

Commenting on the reception Mr Cowen received from his audience at the Wall Street 50 dinner last Thursday night at which he was the keynote speaker, Mr Morrison said: "He was extremely warmly received. He gave a really good talk which was distinguished by its brevity and its focus.

"He was very to the point and he was very clear on what the importance was of America to Ireland and Ireland to America."

It appears, however, that the Taoiseach differs somewhat in his approach to working a room, from his predecessor, Bertie Ahern.

Describing Mr Cowen's approach, Mr Morrison said: "I'd say the room was working him.

"He didn't have to move. The room moved to him."

- RONALD QUINLAN


http://www.independent.ie/national-news ... 36186.html