The Hindu : International : Irish vote `yes' in referendum

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 14, 2004

International

International

Irish vote `yes' in referendum

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON: The Irish Government on Saturday won overwhelming support in a referendum to overturn a controversial law that allowed foreigners to claim automatic Irish citizenship if any of their children was born in Ireland. The outcome, with nearly 80 per cent voters saying "yes'' to the Government's plan, provoked outrage among anti-racist campaigners who called it "dangerous'' and "depressing''. The move was also attacked by the Irish Labour Party and other mainstream Opposition groups. But the Government denied that it was racially motivated and claimed that it was aimed at bringing the Irish citizenship law in line with the rest of the European Union. The "yes'' vote would allow the Government to change the existing law which gives automatic citizenship to children born in Ireland, and to their foreign parents. Under the new plan, Irish-born children will get automatic citizenship only if one of the parents is Irish or they have been living in Ireland for at least three years. The referendum followed claims that many foreigners were abusing the law to gain Irish citizenship. But this has been contested by anti-racist groups, who accused the Government of giving out "false figures'' about foreign women coming to Ireland to deliver babies in a bid to obtain Irish citizenship.

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