Immigration policies anti-family, says Sr Stan

THE Government's immigration policies are anti-family and bureaucratic red tape is making it difficult for thousands of legal immigrants to be reunited with their spouses and children in Ireland.

The Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI), who yesterday labelled the State's policies and procedures as anti-family, said immigrants were forced to wait more than a year for a decision.

Most of the 2,500 inquiries received by the ICI last year were about family reunification issues. The inquiries were made by Irish and other EU nationals, who have a legal right to have their non-EU spouse join them in Ireland, as well as from people working in Ireland on work permits and visas, refugees and those with humanitarian status.