The Dynamics of Political Economy in Ireland: The Case of Asylum Seekers and the Right to Work
This paper is partly the outcome of research that was conducted on behalf of the Irish Refugee Council between January and July 2000.' The research was prompted by the Irish Government's decision to allow the right to work to asylum seekers who had made their applications for asylum in Ireland 12 months prior to 27 July 1999. It incorporated both qualitative and quantitative techniques and included a sample of 37 asylum seekers who had received the right to work. Due to in-built research requirements, the research report focused entirely upon concrete social policy recommendations towards creating a viable, democratic, rights-based and equality focused environment within which to address the employment and social needs of Asylum Seekers. Sociopolitical analysis was therefore not the primary focus of the research. However, a re-evaluation of the findings allowed such sociopolitical themes to be subsequently explored in this article.