Tбnaiste Mary Coughlan
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
23 Kildare Street
Dublin 2

20th May 2009

Dear Tбnaiste,

We the Filipinos in Ireland are writing to express our concerns regarding the changes to the work permit system due to come into effect on the 1st of June 2009.

These changes will add enormous hardship particularly for many of us with work permits who are made redundant from our jobs and who will find it practically impossible to secure another job in the future.

We urge you postpone the changes to the Work Permits system until there is a proper review and alternatives are considered.

This is important because we as migrant workers holding work permits and visas have contributed enormously in all aspects of Irish life and society. We cannot stand for policies which target and exclude a group of migrant workers.

We deserve to be treated with human dignity and respect and not like units of labour that can be easily thrown away.

What we wish for Irish emigrants, we should also want for immigrants in Ireland.