Trinity College Dublin, Ireland's international university, is located in the centre of a modern European capital that is now experiencing extraordinary change. One of the biggest changes facing modern Ireland is immigration.

There is now an opportunity for Ireland in which to plan for, maximise and reap the benefits of the economic, social and cultural contribution of immigrants to Irish society and indeed the economy, and also to minimise the risks. Concrete evidence of the current and future impact of immigration is now required.

The first key initiative of the Trinity Immigration Initiative (TII) is a significant Research Programme; researching integration, diversity and policy. It is designed to create a leap in research in relation to immigration. The Research Programme contains six key projects.

TII Research projects include;

Parallel Societies or Overlapping Diversities
This will consist of a national survey of immigrant and indigenous Irish populations; studying patterns of social integration in the workplace and wider society, the labour market and the opportunities and threats posed for social integration.

National Policy Impacts
The volume of immigration growth requires policy review in a number of different areas including; housing, health care, education, criminal justice etc.

Migrant careers and Aspirations
One of the fundamental topics for discussion regarding immigration is the assumption that many immigrants will be staying in this country. There is much evidence to show that this is not the case. The project will cast light on different issues affecting employment of migrants; careers and aspirations, relationship to home country, relations with Irish workers and experience of Irish attitudes.

Action Research on Community Relations
The uneven distribution of immigrants by area is a big problem, with many migrants located in already socially high stress communities. This pattern is evident internationally, creating obvious problems such as tensions or conflict between disadvantaged host communities and the new arrivals. The project will focus on what can be done in the promotion of positive relations in schools and neighbourhoods.

Migrant Networks-Facilitating Migrant Integration
It is estimated that there are currently around 18,000 primary and 8,000 post primary school students in Ireland whose first language is neither Irish nor English. An increase in these figures is expected in the coming years. This programme will provide and develop a cost effective approach to the teaching of English as a second language to migrants in post primary schools. A failure to provide such resources would result in serious social problems.

      For more information on the Trinity Immigration Initiative please contact:

Trinity Foundation,
East Chapel,                                            Email: immigration@tcd.ie
Trinity College,                                                  www.tcd.ie/immigration
Dublin 2