Claims that illegal migrants in Ireland can join the national police force, An Garda Síochána, or stand for election as political candidates are false, as confirmed by official sources. These misleading claims recently circulated online after an interview involving Jim Ferguson, a former parliamentary candidate for Britain’s Brexit Party, and Niall McConnell, a figure in the Irish nationalist party Siol na hEireann. The interview was shared on the social media platform X, where Ferguson alleged that illegal migrants were being recruited into the Irish police force and allowed to stand in elections. However, neither Ferguson nor McConnell provided evidence to support these assertions.
In the interview, Ferguson claimed that the Irish government was encouraging illegal migrants to apply for police roles and govern the country. McConnell added that illegal migrants were able to run in elections in Ireland without presenting identification. Both individuals failed to back up these statements, and neither responded to requests for comment from Reuters.
The term “illegal migrant” refers to individuals who have been refused permission to stay in Ireland. According to Ireland’s Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage, non-EEA and non-UK nationals require permission to enter and remain in Ireland. A spokesperson from the Department of Justice clarified that illegal migrants are not eligible to apply for roles with An Garda Síochána, the Irish police force. Applicants must be EU, EEA, UK, or Swiss nationals, or hold refugee or subsidiary protection status. Additionally, they must have been legally resident in Ireland for 12 continuous months before applying and meet other specific residency requirements.
The idea that illegal migrants could run for political office in Ireland is also false. Under Ireland’s Constitution and the Electoral Act, only Irish citizens are eligible to run for the Dáil Éireann, the lower house of parliament, or the Seanad and presidency. While local elections allow non-citizens who are “ordinarily resident” to stand for office, this status requires several years of tax residency in Ireland. There is no evidence that any illegal migrant has ever run in an election in the country.