Ms Siewierska moved to Ireland from Poland aged seven and has been involved in student politics since her mid teens. However, on February 8th, Ms Siewierska will not be able to cast a ballot. She plans to apply for citizenship but for now cannot afford the fee or the additional costs of translating documents. I have a voice and I want to be able to say ‘that’s the government I voted for’.”Voting gives a person a sense of belonging, says Ms Siewierska. “The Government keeps talking about integration and there is no higher level of integration than acquiring citizenship.

Source: The Irish Times February 03, 2020 02:15 UTC