Immigration group seeks changes to aid families

ONE of the country’s leading migrant support groups called on the Government yesterday to introduce a raft of changes to its immigration policy which is keeping families apart.

Delegates at a major Family Reunification Conference held in Cork heard that many people who have come to live and work in Ireland are being denied the right to live with their children, partners or spouses because of inadequacies in the Irish system.

The policy, coupled with bureaucratic delays, have meant that some people, who have the legal right to live and work in Ireland, face delays of up to three or four years before their family can join them in Ireland.

“This delay places huge strain on the family unit, and is a major issue for thousands of refugees and asylum seekers,” said conference organiser Gertrude Cotter, director of Nasc, the Irish Immigrant Support Centre.

The conference also addressed the issues facing families who have been divided by the Irish system.

They include administrative delays, legal obstacles, and having family deemed too old to be allowed into the country.

Marie Claire Kah from the Ivory Coast said she has not seen her eldest daughter in over four years.

Even though her daughter was under 18 when she applied for permission to enter the country, she was over 18 when the department finally looked at her case and was deemed too old to qualify.

Nasc director Gertrude Cotter said the Government has not realised the importance of family life on both integration and on the quality of life for immigrants.

“The Government is currently bringing The Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill to the Dáil,” she said.

“However, this bill makes no mention of one of the most pressing issues facing immigrants in this country — access to their families.

“We are calling on the Government to resolve this issue, and to realise the role that the family plays in people’s quality of life, and the role a stable family life can play in integrating people into society.”

She said a simple change in legislation would resolve the situation for one small group of people — estimated to be just over 300.

“When the citizenship referendum was passed, it created a small group of people who, in order to gain the legal right to stay in the country with their Irish-born children, had to sign away the right to family reunification,” Ms Cotter said.

“This is a unique situation and will not affect any other group in the future. Nasc and the Refugee Information Service (RIS) are calling on the government grant these people the right to live with their families.”

RIS official, Jo Ahern, said family reunification is a major source of concern to migrant communities.

Lack of information regarding the application process, lack of clarity regarding family members who are permitted to come to Ireland, and the length of time it takes to process applications are among the main concerns.

“The Minister for Justice is currently given discretion to grant any application, which means that decisions can be inconsistent and the system can lack transparency,” she said.

The conference also heard how under the Employment Permit Act 2006, if a family earn over €60,000 a year they are allowed to bring their family into Ireland, while families that earn even €1,000 below that threshold face an uncertain future.