Migrants urged to get involved in local politics

Cllr Yemi Adenuga was a keynote speaker in a recent online training programme for migrants who are interested in running in the next local elections.

The session took place as part of the Migrant Electoral Empowerment Programme being run by the Immigrant Council of Ireland.

The newly launched programme is aimed at giving potential candidates from a migrant background insights into what is involved in running an election campaign, how to strengthen local connections, and practical information on canvassing and communications.

The Fine Gael councillor shared details of the day-to-day work as well as tips on how to find confidence as a migrant election candidate and effective communications strategies.

“As Ireland’s first ever elected black female public representative and Meath County Council’s first migrant councillor, I was delighted to share the knowledge I’ve gained from being in office over the last number of years. I hope that I can give participants the tools to find their confidence to run for election,” she said.

Commenting on the Migrant Electoral Empowerment Programme to date, Teresa Buczkowska, Integration Manager at the Immigrant Council of Ireland, said: “Migrant participation in politics is a vital element of integration. It is really important for people of migrant backgrounds to know that they can be involved in Irish politics – whether that is through exercising their right to vote, or becoming actively involved with a party or campaigns they care about.

“It is also important for wider Irish society to have diverse political representatives – reflective of the society we live in today.

“We are running the Migrant Electoral Empowerment Programme to provide clear information for participants on what is required to run and manage an election campaign.

“We are delighted that we have 18 participants from all over Ireland enrolled in the training and interested in running in the 2024 local elections. We look forward to supporting their growth and education over the coming weeks.”