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Screenings
2007 The Mansion House, Dublin - Launch of Life in the Shadows - An Exploration of Irregular Migration in Ireland.
Undocumented Workers in Ireland
Migrant workers from outside the European Union who entered Ireland legally can easily become undocumented for reasons beyond their control, such as workplace exploitation, deception, or unexpected redundancy.
These digital stories were created by undocumented migrant workers who are members of the Bridging Visa Campaign Group. This group, supported by Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, have campaigned for the Irish Government to introduce a temporary permission to remain – or ‘Bridging Visa’ – to allow workers who have become undocumented through no fault of their own a route back into the system.
Through Digital Storytelling, we have a unique opportunity to see and hear what life is like for migrant workers who are living in Ireland undocumented.
Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) has been advocating on behalf of migrant workers for a number of years. Their report, Life in the Shadows: An Exploration of Irregular Migration in Ireland, makes a number of recommendations to help prevent and minimise irregular migration in Ireland.
Credits
Storytellers: Zaman, Lyubov and Abdel
Project Co-ordinator / Workshop Facilitator: Darcy Alexandra – The Centre for Transcultural Research and Media Practice, DIT
Post Production: Aodán Ó Coileáin
MRCI Workshop Partners: Helen Lowry and Edel McGinley
Special Thanks to MRCI Team: Siobhán O’Donoghue, Jacqueline Healy, Delphine O’Keeffe and Bill Abom
Artistic and Conceptual Consultants: Veronica Vierin, Cahal McLaughlin and Josh Schachter
Interpreting and Translation: Olga Dubyna and Denis Avdonin
Technical Advisers: Mick Muldoon, Alan Pike and Owen Tighe
Executive Producers: Aine O’ Brien and Alan Grossman
Undocumented In Ireland: Our Stories
These digital stories were conceived, edited, produced and shared within a community of learners. As producers of the media, using their own personal archives and crafting their script with an emphasis on the centrality of ‘voice’, these short 2-3 min pieces reflect a pedagogy of community based learning and media activism. Members of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI), ‘Bridging Visa Campaign Group’, have campaigned for the Irish Government to introduce a temporary permission to remain – or ‘Bridging Visa’ – to allow workers, who have become undocumented through no fault of their own, a route back into the system.
Abdel, Lyubov and Zaman came to Ireland with the hopes of building a better future for themselves and their families. From Morocco, Ukraine and Bangladesh, they entered Ireland legally. Due to diverse circumstances outside of their control, they fell out of legality. These three stories speak to their experiences as undocumented people from the perspective of the tellers themselves.
Click ‘More Info’ for further details on this project.
Zaman's Story
'My father called me into the kitchen. He told me come here son you should learn to make your own food...'
Lyubov's Story
'When I came to the capital city without any support from anybody, without any friends, without any English, for two long months I was without any job...'
Abdel's Story
'The day I came to Ireland, I though my dream was coming true, but life is not always as good as you imagine...'