Ireland is behind other European countries when it comes to offering foreign nationals citizenship.
Research by the Immigrant Council of Ireland shows that immigrants to Ireland are far less likely to become citizens than those who move to other European Union countries. Citizenship in Ireland is at the discretion of the Minister for Justice.
Twenty two year old Sheelan Yousefizadeh, from Iran, has been living in Ireland for ten years. The Trinity College student became an Irish citizen last September. She says that the whole process of becoming a citizen is really unsure which makes it difficult to make plans.
Just 13 per cent of foreign nationals become Irish citizens. That compares to an EU average of 34 per cent.
Between March 2011 and July 2013, almost 50,000 immigrants have been awarded citizenship. Campaigners say that the lack of application guidelines causes confusion in the process.
Hilkka Becker, solicitor, with the Immigrant Council of Ireland, says that many people who to Ireland do not know if they qualify for citizenship. Immigrants must be residents of Ireland for five years and be of good character in order to qualify.
The Department of Justice says that most applications for citizenship are processed and decided upon within six months. However, for many applicants, the process can take much longer. Twenty eight year old Waseem Yousaf was born in Pakistan and has lived in Dublin for nine years. He says that many of his friends have been waiting three or four years to get citizenship even though they have been working and paying taxes in the country. Some of the applications of his friends were refused without any explanation. Waseem Yousaf plans to apply for citizenship in the coming years.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 29 July 2013. The reporter is Sharon Gaffney.
