Metro Eireann headline queen pledge forced on north migrants
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rights, freedoms and repression |
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Tuesday March 27, 2007 16:13
by Harry Wells
They should be offered option of Irish or British citizenship
Metro Eireann has highlighted an anomaly affecting migrants to the North of Ireland. They are forced to pledge allegiance to the British Queen when seeking citizenship rights.
In line with the Good Friday Agreement, they should have the right to opt out of this feudal coercion of pledging allegiance to an unelected monarch and to a contested state in the north of Ireland.
The Alliance Party and Sinn Fein have opposed this feudal remnant, that has so far been forced on over 600 migrants. Already controversial in Britain, it is completely unsuited to the situation of contested nationality in the north of Ireland.
This is something that could be easily facilitated by the Irish government. Those deemed to qualify for citizenship could be offered the optionto swear allegiance to a republic or to a monarch. It seems a simple solution. Alternatively, the citizenship process in the North could be made neutral.
Michael McDowell, the Minister for Justice in the south, should facilitate the taking of Irish nationality by qualifying applicants in the North. Will he?