A Changed Ireland, Migration, Inclusion and Justice- a talk by Dr. Salome Mbugua

In recent years, Ireland has drastically changed from an emigrant country to an immigrant country as migration has greatly increased in the last twenty years. The original founders of the Irish State guaranteed religious and civil liberty as well as equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens. For this reason, talks such as the ones given by Dr. Salome Mbugua on July 8th are very important.

• Who: Dr. Salome Mbugua
• Where: Farmleigh House, Phoenix Park, D15 TD50
• When: Saturday, July 8th 2023
• Time: 3.00pm – 4.00pm
• Price: €10

Ireland’s History of Migration

Migration has been a large part of Irish culture, as far back as the seventeenth century during the Great Irish Famine. However, while Ireland used to be primarily a country from which people migrated from, today, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) discloses, the number of immigrants- 120,700- is far greater than the number of people who emigrated- 59,600. In fact, this is the highest number of immigration Ireland has experienced since 2007.

The number of immigrants has also greatly increased in the last twenty years, rising from the recorded 50,500 immigrants in 2003. As of April 2022, it was recorded that there were 703,700 non-Irish nationals living in Ireland. This makes up 13.8% of the population, a very large percentage of people that may not feel inclusion or justice in their everyday lives.

Because of this large and sudden increase in the number of immigrants in Ireland, discussions about the changes in the country and the ways in which we can work together to ensure inclusivity and that human rights are being upheld are very important. Dr Salome Mbugua is set to lead a discussion on the 8th of July in the hopes of achieving this goal and in spreading the word about inclusivity and justice for all that come to live in Ireland.

Illustration of Irish emigrants on their way to the US in 1850, originally published in The Illustrated London News on the 6th of July 1850. Image via RTE.

• The positive effects if immigration

Who is Dr. Salome Mbugua?

Dr. Salome Mbugua is a gender equality activist and human rights advocate, and the CEO of AkiDwA- The Migrant Women’s Network Ireland. Through her work with Wezesha, Dr. Mbugua has been working with members of the African Diaspora in Ireland, who aim to foster relationships between people with African descent and Ireland through shared heritage and culture.

Dr. Mbugua is the co-president of the European Network of Migrant Women. This is a migrant-women-led feminist, secular, non-partisan platform that advocates for the rights, freedoms and dignity of migrants, refugees and ethnic minority women and girls in Europe. She also serves as the chair of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion project board with Public Appointment Services.

Image via Heritage Ireland website

Throughout her over 20 years of experience working with underrepresented groups, Dr Mbugua has acquired an expertise in Human Rights. She has delivered over 100 presentations on the topics of gender, racism, immigration, women on the move and the refugee crisis, gender based violence, feminism, inequality, and the impact of the economic crisis on women in Ireland, Europe, Africa and America. She holds a master’s degree in Equality Studies from UCD and is working on a Doctorate research at Trinity College Dublin on Peace Building and Conflict Management. Through her real-world experience and her time in academia, Dr Mbugua has become a great person to speak on these issues and topics.

• The loneliness of migration and the struggle to integrate

If you are interested in finding out more about this new, changed Ireland brought about as a result of migration into Ireland, and the ways in which we can ensure justice and inclusion, make sure to book your tickets for Dr. Salome Mbugua’s talk on the 8th of July at Farmleigh House.