This paper outlines a new approach to the development of immigrant integration policy in Ireland that is informed by an international human rights and public sector duty perspective. Based on a comprehensive review, the paper outlines the current state of immigrant integration policies in the Irish public sector, highlighting the limited awareness of this issue among public bodies. It also provides practical guidance for public bodies wishing to develop more effective immigrant integration policies, drawing from international human rights treaties and from examples of policy development in Ireland. Given the reality that Ireland is now a well-established immigrant-receiving country, the paper concludes that Ireland urgently needs a coherent and comprehensive approach to the development of immigrant integration policy. A human-rights-based approach offers such a method and would allow Ireland, through its public sector, to become a leader in immigrant integration policy development. This approach requires the elaboration of specific integration policies in order to ensure that migrant populations can practically access fundamental human rights such as housing, education, healthcare and employment.
The approach of public bodies towards migrant populations is often framed in terms of ‘migrant integration’. However, domestic integration policy and practice often come up short in terms of ensuring equal access to rights such as education, employment and housing for migrants. In this article, we discuss a variety of approaches to defining and measuring integration and, drawing on the concluding observations of a number of UN human rights treaty monitoring bodies, argue in favour of a model of integration based on international human rights law. Indicators derived from this model are used to assess the extent to which policymaking in the public sector in Ireland is informed by human rights. Finally, it is suggested that the methodology used in this study could be applied outside the sphere of immigration and integration to other areas of public policy which directly affect individuals’ human rights—from housing policy, to the provision of disability services, to early education and other important domains.
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