Three candidates of migrant background running in Kilkenny local ...

18 days ago

Kilkenny People

This year’s local elections see a significant increase in the number of candidates of a migrant background running, according to the Immigrant Council of Ireland.

This is reflected in the Kilkenny candidate pool where there are two candidates of international background in the city local electoral area - Jony Aza (Ind) and Dr Toluwani Akaehomen (Ind), and one in the Callan Thomastown electoral area - Kristina Doyle (Green Party).

In the 2019 local elections there were 56 migrant candidates, however the Immigrant Council has identified more than 100 candidates of a migrant background running in the local elections on June 7.

As well as the increased number of candidates of a migrant background running there is a higher proportion of candidates running as part of a political party, rather than as independents.

In 2019 over half of all migrant candidates ran as independents, while in this election cycle independent candidates only make up a third of all migrant candidates. Some 27 out of 31 local authorities have candidates of a migrant background, compared to 24 in 2019.

Since 2016, the Immigrant Council of Ireland has been delivering capacity-building projects for migrants interested in entering politics. One in 5 current election candidates of a migrant background participated in one or more training and support programs offered by the Immigrant Council.

As well as this the Immigrant Council has also been delivering voter education workshops around the country. With over 20 sessions completed, reaching over 2,500 people in the last six weeks alone.

Brian Killoran, CEO, Immigrant Council of Ireland said: “Our work in the area democratic participation has never been more important, when many political decisions about the future of migrant communities in Ireland are effectively being made without their participation and inclusion. Migrants are members of our democracy, they contribute to our economy as well as our cultural lives and it’s a matter of equality and fairness that their voices and experiences are represented at the decision-making level, both locally and nationally.”

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