Abstract
Although migration has been part of human history, we could say that in the 21st-century economic drivers of migration are more powerful than ever, yet in a multicultural country like Ireland where diversity is encouraged many migrants struggle with making a new home. The current housing crisis means that many migrants live in fear of losing their home with nowhere to return. While a number of studies have been carried out in recent time in Ireland on the growing issue of housing, there is no current study on housing experiences of the migrant population. This research aimed to explore the housing experiences of Polish and Romanian migrants in Ireland and picks up on issues related to the current housing crisis. The qualitative method was used, with semi-structured interviews with two Polish and two Romanian migrant participants and one NGO officer who gave an informed opinion on housing experiences of Polish and Romanian migrants, and enhance the data with statistics and migrant and housing policy recognition. The results showed that while some migrants have their sense of home in Ireland, they all are facing challenges when it comes to housing. In addition, the most significant finding from this study seems to be that the migrants might be affected more by the housing crisis than the rest of Irish society. Based on these findings it was recommended that a qualitative method study should be used for future research with a view to collect results that are representative of the entire migrant population in Ireland. Furthermore, the results from this research study provide useful information for future housing intervention programs and promote housing human rights.
