Crossing Borders, Breaking Boundaries

Last July, Mel – a member of My Fair Home and Justice for the Undocumented – did a home workout EVERY SINGLE DAY for the whole month of July to raise money for MRCI.💪🏽💰 🎊Join us this July and take on our Challenge for Change! Register for free now➡️ ➡️mrci.ie/challengeforchange20…

Today Leitrim hurling team launches their season jersey in partnership with MRCI. You can donate to support MRCI’s work at mrci.ie/donate/ Thanks @officialgaa @gaelicplayers for supporting #NoToRacism

Racism has no place in our society, communities, workplaces, schools or in sport. MRCI is delighted to join forces with @LeitrimHurling + @ZakmoradiGAA. This jersey sends a clear message, raises awareness and shows solidarity with everyone impacted by racism. #NoToRacism #GAA

Do you want to get fit + raise money for MRCI this July? Then register for this year’s 31-Day Challenge for Change! 🏃‍♀️Run 🚴🏾‍♀️Cycle 💃🏽Dance 🍞Bake 🧘🏿‍♀️or do Yoga every day in July Sign up to our Fundraiser and join our team and community➡️mrci.ie/challengeforchange20… #fundraiser

It is unsurprising that breeches were found in the fishing sector. MRCI has long called for a moratorium on new work permissions, as worker rights cannot be guaranteed or protected. The A-typical scheme did not protect workers.

A 48% non-compliance rate - including pay, working time + employment permits in meat plants inspected, is very concerning for workers. The sanctions for breaches are abyssal and need urgent attention.

WRC inspections reveal unacceptable levels of non-compliance across agriculture, horticulture and fisheries. A 48% ‘breach rate’ in agriculture and horticulture is extremely worrying.

We welcome the UK Government's guarantee that all migrants, despite their legal status, can come forward to take the #COVID19 vaccine. Ensuring migrant communities are aware of this firewall will be fundamental to the success of any vaccination programme.

This is intensified by border hierarchy that exists – despite day-to-day cross border living and infrastructure (as well as education and healthcare), some people are excluded from entering the UK because of immigration status, which in turn segregates communities in the region.

And as such are prevented from full integration into the workforce, the labour market and into their local communities (long working hours, low wages, unpredictable time off, exhaustion, language barriers).

Migrant workers, particularly in low wage work such as agri-food and care (important sectors in the border region and on this island), regularly find it very difficult to assert even their basic employment rights.

We attended a Shared Island Roundtable today held by Dept of the Taoiseach. We highlighted the impact of poor employment conditions on migrant workers' ability to full engage socially, politically and economically in shared future discussions and need to address it #sharedisland

Despite some workers doing close to 50 hours/week, and the horticulture industry being worth €476m/a year, workers' wages are very low: "under 40% of workers in horticulture earned the minimum wage, with a total of 83% earning €12 or less per hour." @CrossingBBB @SEUPB