African and Polish Immigrants in Ireland
Introduction
Immigration is one of the most divisive and controversial issues in the contemporary world. With increasing threats from terrorists, economic crises, and political turmoil, more Western countries are blocking immigrants from entering their borders. However, such a stance has not stopped migrants from Eastern European countries, such as Poland, and Africans, particularly Nigerian, from trying their luck. This comes after a period of welcoming and integrating migrants into European society. Ireland remains the highest host to a large number of immigrants from Africa and Eastern Europe. The number of Polish and African migrants in Ireland exponentially rose following the adoption of the open border policy in the 1990s to early 2000s. While immigrants from Poland and Africa dominate the immigrant numbers in Ireland, they exhibit social, cultural, and political differences and similarities that are extensively revealed in Irish society.
Polish and African Migrants in Ireland
Education is the most common aspect to differentiate Polish and African migrant groups in Ireland. For instance, by 2006, approximately 53,316 Sub-Saharan Africans were living in Ireland, with Nigerians being the largest group standing at 16,667 people. 41% of this group is well-educated individuals compared to their counterparts from Poland (Fanning, 2018). At least, each Nigerian immigrant within 41% holds a degree from an institution in Ireland and across the United Kingdom. On the contrary, Fanning (2018) notes that Polish migrants have minimal education, such that only a fraction of their 122,586 has a degree and other academic credentials. The acquisition of education among Africans in Ireland is particularly due to their strong connections to Christianity and religion in general. Most African migrants moved due to their connection with the missionaries working across the African continent. With a strong presence of Irish missionary work in Nigeria, it necessitated the immigration of more Nigerians to Ireland, hence resulting in their large population among the African migrants.
African migrants face hard times in the search for job opportunities in comparison to Polish migrants who are well-placed to enjoy better opportunities due to the prevailing white privileges. However, before 2011, the Irish were largely accommodative to migrants, not until the labor market was worst hit by the economic crisis (Michael, 2015). Some Polish and African immigrants seek to relocate to other EU capitals searching for work and other related benefits. The majority of Polish migrants sought to move to Ireland due to the harsh economic times in Poland, while African migrants were pushed majorly by war, insecurity, and a dysfunctional social system. The Biafra war in Nigeria, in which the Irish government was accused of being involved, particularly led to an increase in the number of African migrants by over 100,000 (Fanning, 2018). However, the Irish government’s decision to allow members from the European Union to move into Ireland to work without visas and work permits accelerated the number of Polish migrants. Harsh economic realities in Poland following a turbulent period of political upheaval meant that employment was almost impossible. Dilution of the labor market due to an increase in the number of graduates without jobs accentuated the need to explore other European corners, and Ireland’s open-door policy to immigration provided an easier path (Michael, 2015). On the other hand, a high number of migrants from West Africa alludes to the military confrontations in the region, prompting more people to migrate abroad, with Ireland being a sought-after destination.
Racial discrimination and xenophobia affect both Polish and African migrants although in different proportions. For instance, large quarters of Irish society and population have integrated Polish migrants into the country, therefore attaching the white privilege (O’Connell, 2018). Unfortunately, African immigrants struggle to get recognition in Ireland, as they are on the receiving end of racial discrimination, bias, and xenophobia. As a result, despite having the highest number of educated individuals, higher than the hosts as well, African immigrants struggle to get employment in Ireland. The same cannot be said about Polish immigrants. For example, in 2006, the Republic of Ireland census indicated that out of 63,276 Polish people there, 77% were working (Fanning, 2018). Specifically, 16% worked in hospitality, 22% in the construction industry, 17% in the retail industry, and 22% in manufacturing. Interestingly, only 23% of the Irish population did not work. Despite lacking concrete statistics on the numbers of Africans working in Ireland, theoretical assumptions indicate that out of the 58,696 African population living in Ireland, less than 10% are working (Ebun, 2017). Essentially, it is impossible to keep at par with their Polish counterparts.
Due to the high employment prospects, most Poles living in the Republic of Ireland live in highly populated urban centers, particularly near the industrial bases. In contrast, African migrants are mostly concentrated in rural areas with minimal chances of employment. Given that Africans are massively affected by racial discrimination and white privilege, it is understandable that their employment chances are minimal in comparison to Poles (Ebun, 2017). As a result, it pushes them to live in rural areas. Perhaps, a huge African population in Ireland is another factor. For instance, according to the Irish census of 2011, 58,696 Africans lived in Ireland and 122,515 Poles were recorded (Fanning, 2018). However, a number in both cases does not include undocumented immigrants. Employment prospects and the number of people determine the area of residence among the two groups.
While African immigrants have largely embraced Irish culture, particularly the language, Poles prefer Polish culture and often communicate in their language. For instance, in 2011, Polish had overtaken Irish as the second most spoken language after English. Given that most African immigrants are from former British colonies, such as Nigeria, English is the most preferred language of communication (Fanning, 2018). Similarly, both groups observe the other aspects of Irish culture, such as festivities, food, dressing code, and behavioral mannerisms. As a result, it has made it difficult to identify Poles from Irish without exploring the language difference.
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As commonly observed across the rest of Europe, Irish society is highly individualistic or rather capitalist. Most people keep small families so they can give maximum care. Similarly, Polish and African immigrants have adopted this model, therefore significantly reducing population growth in the last 15 years (O’Connell, 2018). More so, economic crises, discrimination, and xenophobia in some sections of the Irish population have prompted a movement to other EU countries. Currently, racial discrimination is on the rise in the process of accommodating immigrants. The decimation of job prospects for Irish people means that both groups of immigrants face a similar fate, although there is a marginal preference for Polish, thus being a clear case of discrimination. Job vacancies are seriously reducing, hence forcing some migrants to seek alternatives within the EU.
Conclusion
In essence, African and Polish migrants in the Republic of Ireland experience almost similar issues and benefits, although some differences are also observed. For instance, while Africans have fully integrated into the cultural orientation of the Irish, Polish people appear inclined toward their culture, particularly about language. Nonetheless, both groups observe cultural elements, such as dressing, food, and celebration of festivities. Furthermore, the biting effects of the economic crisis continue to push all the groups into other European cities looking for employment opportunities. However, Poland immigrants experience a slight advantage regarding employment opportunities due to the lack of racial discrimination and white privileges. African immigrants’ high number of educated individuals does not count when it comes to employment opportunities. African migrants have embraced religion as opposed to their Polish counterparts, therefore leading to more educated Africans in Ireland. Conclusively, the current wave of preventing and controlling the influx of immigrants into European countries is expected to result in a reduced number of migrants entering the Republic of Ireland.
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