YOUNG IRISH EMIGRANTS abroad who are campaigning for the right to vote in the upcoming 2018 presidential election are organising a “toast” to their cause this Christmas.

The “Toast for a Vote” aims to get Irish citizens all over the world to raise a glass to the emigrant vote in order to highlight their cause for more political representation.

Disenfranchised

Young Irish emigrant group, We’re Coming Back, which was founded only this October said Ireland “completely disenfranchises its emigrants”.

They said that Ireland has gone from having the highest net immigration levels in Europe to the highest net emigration levels in just six years, according to Eurostat figures.

While they said the Central Statistics Office indicates that one person is leaving the country every six minutes. “At the same time, unemployment is at its lowest in three years and a potential post-bailout recovery is being tentatively heralded at home,” said the group.

Campaign member David Burns said:

The response so far has been fantastic. We’ve spent the past month inundated with emails from people all over the world who want to get involved.

Irish emigrants are still Irish citizens and they deserve some political inclusion.

This Christmas weekend, from the 20-22 December, Irish people at home and abroad, are encouraged to take part in a simultaneous toast, submitting their photos online as they raise a “quiet one” to an emigrant vote.

The Facebook campaign has over 500 people taking part in ‘The Quiet One 2013′ and the group are hoping that many more will join in at the weekend.

Read: Home for Christmas? Stay and check out job prospects says recruiter>

Read: WATCH: The Irish Christmas song dedicated to emigrants>

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