A campaign calling for the introduction of temporary visa for undocumented migrants living in Ireland has been launched.
The Irish Migrants Rights Centre says it is dealing with dozens of cases of people who have become undocumented due to exploitation.
Meanwhile the Immigrant Council of Ireland has said women migrants are being socially isolated because they do not know their rights.
Each year foreign nationals arrive here in search of a better life, but sometimes the jobs they have been promised never materialise and they are forced into a situation where they work and live here illegally.
Today the Migrants Rights Centre said many of these people are being exploited by their employers and similar to undocumented Irish living the US deserve the chance to stay here at least on a temporary basis.
The centre says the introduction of a six-month permission to remain scheme is pragmatic and in no way radical, it also claims that it is in line with Ireland's humanitarian obligations.
The case of several people has been highlighted, including Iryna from Ukraine who left her job in a mushroom farm were she was forced to work 15-hour days in poor conditions without pay for overtime or working weekends.
The group is due to meet with the Minister for Justice, Brian Lenihan, next month to discuss its proposal.
It wants the new measures to be dealt with in the upcoming Immigration Residence and Protection Bill.
RTÉ.ie Extra
