Ireland’s Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne TD, arrived in Santa Marta on Sunday to represent the Government at the 4th EU-CELAC summit of European, Latin American and Caribbean leaders. The two-day meeting will focus on trade facilitation, citizen-security cooperation and climate-resilient infrastructure. Byrne will also hold bilateral talks aimed at deepening educational and labour-mobility links, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs press release.
Why it matters for global mobility: Latin America is an increasingly important talent pool for Irish tech, pharma and agri-food companies. Enterprise Ireland data show work-permit issuances to nationals of Colombia, Brazil and Argentina rose 38 per cent in the first nine months of 2025. Officials travelling with Byrne will brief counterparts on Ireland’s Critical Skills and new Seasonal Employment Permit schemes, seeking reciprocal easing of short-term business-visa rules for Irish executives visiting the region.
![Minister Byrne leads Irish delegation to EU-CELAC summit in Colombia]()
The summit will adopt bi-regional pacts on “Citizen Security” and “Care”. For companies, the citizen-security accord could streamline data-sharing on organised crime, reducing vetting delays for assignees who require police-clearance certificates. The care pact is expected to facilitate care-worker mobility—relevant as Ireland plans to add 1,000 extra General Employment Permits for home-care aides in January.
Diplomats also flagged that CELAC partners will be invited to Ireland’s planned 2026 “Trade Ireland – Latin America” week, which will include a special track on corporate relocation and remote-worker visas.
Irish firms with Latin American operations should monitor outcomes closely: any new mutual-recognition agreements on qualifications could cut onboarding times, while enhanced consular cooperation promises faster emergency assistance for travelling staff.
Why it matters for global mobility: Latin America is an increasingly important talent pool for Irish tech, pharma and agri-food companies. Enterprise Ireland data show work-permit issuances to nationals of Colombia, Brazil and Argentina rose 38 per cent in the first nine months of 2025. Officials travelling with Byrne will brief counterparts on Ireland’s Critical Skills and new Seasonal Employment Permit schemes, seeking reciprocal easing of short-term business-visa rules for Irish executives visiting the region.
The summit will adopt bi-regional pacts on “Citizen Security” and “Care”. For companies, the citizen-security accord could streamline data-sharing on organised crime, reducing vetting delays for assignees who require police-clearance certificates. The care pact is expected to facilitate care-worker mobility—relevant as Ireland plans to add 1,000 extra General Employment Permits for home-care aides in January.
Diplomats also flagged that CELAC partners will be invited to Ireland’s planned 2026 “Trade Ireland – Latin America” week, which will include a special track on corporate relocation and remote-worker visas.
Irish firms with Latin American operations should monitor outcomes closely: any new mutual-recognition agreements on qualifications could cut onboarding times, while enhanced consular cooperation promises faster emergency assistance for travelling staff.
