March 2023 - MONITORING REPORT ON INTEGRATION 2022 - Frances McGinnity, Stefanie Sprong, Emma Quinn,

The context of this year’s report is par5cularly interes5ng. The effect of the COVID19 pandemic on work and life, coupled with the ongoing effects of Brexit, have all contributed to a very different landscape to that reviewed in previous Monitoring Reports on Integra5on. These factors have caused serious challenges for migrants as well as for many other groups in Ireland. The current cost-of-living issues and the ongoing war in Ukraine are likely to further increase these challenges. The integra5on indicators in this report show frequently less favourable outcomes for residents in Ireland who were born abroad. This is across a broad range of categories, including educa5on, employment and social inclusion. And, as evidenced by this and other research, while Ireland has become increasingly diverse, racism is an issue in Ireland, as it is in many other EU Member States. Unfortunately, some people who live in Ireland feel the impact of racism on their day-to-day lives in a variety of ways. Racism impacts many different groups – both migrant and non-migrant. The government has just launched Ireland’s Na5onal Ac5on Plan Against Racism, aimed at elimina5ng racism in all its forms. We sincerely hope and believe that this plan will prove to be an important tool in our ongoing work to improve the lives of those from diverse backgrounds living in this country. This latest Monitoring Report on Integra5on, which has been produced under the ESRI’s Equality and Integra5on Research Programme and funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integra5on and Youth, provides the government and government departments with high-quality data to make informed decisions on migrant integra5on policy. I am pleased to support this research, and I would like to thank the ESRI for their work in this field. It is likely that inward migra5on will con5nue in Ireland, and it is vital that we support the integra5on of migrants into Irish society. A diverse cultural heritage benefits us all.