The Immigrant Council of Ireland has appointed Teresa Buczkowska as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Teresa brings nearly 20 years of experience as a leader in non-profit management, supporting migrant rights, and promoting migrant political participation.

As a migrant who identifies as both Polish and Irish, Teresa is proud to serve as the Immigrant Council’s new CEO. Her personal understanding of the challenges that migrants face on arrival in a new country will be of the utmost value to her and the organisation as she works to continue ICI’s mission to support migrants and their families.

Commenting on her recent appointment, Teresa Buczkowska said: “I arrived in Ireland 20 years ago with broken English and a €20 note and, as an Eastern European migrant woman, I experienced a variety of challenges when settling down in Ireland. I am immensely proud that the board of the Immigrant Council trusted me with the task to lead the organisation into the future. As one of the very few migrant women holding a leadership position in Ireland, I am aware that there is a greater need to include diverse migrant voices in leadership of the migrant justice sector.

This is a challenging moment for migrant rights in Ireland, with the emergence of organised hostility and hate. However, this is not the Ireland that welcomed me 20 years ago and I believe that that Ireland still exists and that there is more love in Ireland than hate. Now, it is the time for anyone that calls Ireland home to come together to create the future we would like to see. A future where we care for the most vulnerable and where people still have rights regardless of whether they were born in Ireland or have made Ireland their home.

I hope that in the coming years I can continue to guide the great work that the Immigrant Council of Ireland is doing. I want to see a fact-based public debate on migration and inclusion, and I will continue to oppose attempts to infringe the safety and equality of migrants and refugees by malicious disinformation. Through working in coalition with others and engaging with policymakers we can ensure that the rights of migrants in Ireland are respected and protected, including the right to a fair asylum process.”

Teresa’s appointment was warmly welcomed by ICI’s Chairperson, Dr Roja Fazaeli, who said: “Teresa has been advocating strongly for migrants' rights for two decades and will be an excellent leader for ICI in the years to come. The board is delighted to welcome her back as she takes up this vital role."

Teresa will take up her new post on Monday 19th May 2025 and is replacing Brian Killoran who led the organisation from 2015 to March 2025.

Teresa’s background and professional history:

Teresa arrived in Ireland in 2005 and began working in manufacturing and retail jobs. Throughout that time her commitment to supporting vulnerable migrants in accessing their rights led her to the Immigrant Council where, in 2013, she took up her first role and progressed in the organisation to become Integration Manager. She developed a keen understanding of the challenges and solutions for those from a migrant background and the skills needed to lead those around her.

During this time, Teresa was also elected to the board of the Arts Council which she sat on from 2019 to 2024. In 2021, she received the Social Change Initiative Fellowship and in 2022, she was selected as an Obama Scholar. In 2024, Teresa received the “Women of Europe – Woman in Media” award for her dedication to fostering informed discussions on crucial European issues such as migration, gender equality and EU integration.

Teresa is a board member of Forum Polonia Ireland, a Polish migrant justice organisation. In 2023 Teresa established and became editor of the Migrant Vote, a platform and a podcast dedicated to facilitating political inclusion of migrants.