An emigration study from the University College Cork (UCC) conducted last year examined the reasons people were emigrating from Ireland and the impact the recent increase in emigration was having on both those who traveled abroad and their families and communities back home.
The project entitled ‘Current Irish EMIGration and Return,’ or EMIGRE, took a close look at who is emigrating and why, where these emigrants are headed, how they are coping, and when and if they will return to Ireland.
According to the report, over 87,000 people emigrated from Ireland in 2012. Approximately 46,500 of these were Irish. However, over 20,000 Irish emigrants also returned to the county the same year.
The majority of those emigrating are young, with approximately 86% between the ages of 15 and 44, and more men are emigrating than women.
The study also found that Irish emigrants today are spreading out to a wide variety of areas, including England, US, Canada, and Australia as well as places such as the Middle East and parts of Asia.
According to the report, Ireland’s economic situation has had a significant impact on emigration but the survey found that not all emigrants leave for financial reasons and the decision to leave is based on many different factors.
Researchers of EMIGRE report are now conducting a new study to further explore the challenges and obstacles emigrants face and to better understand the factors that lead some people to emigrate while other stay in Ireland.
The research will be carried out online and by direct survey in Ireland.
Irish emigrants who are interested in participating in the study can find the survey here.
A full copy of last year’s EMIGRE study can be found here.
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