Judge dismisses Syrian man's challenge to reunification refusal for 18-year-old son

Mr Justice Ferriter dealt with two similar judicial review challenges brought by men who sought to reunify sons who had “aged out” while their international protection applications were being decided.

Ireland is not a party to the EU’s Family Reunification Directive, and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) does not provide for a self-standing right to family reunification, the judge went on. File photo

A High Court judge has dismissed a Syrian man’s challenge to the Minister for Justice’s refusal to allow reunification for his son who turned 18 while the father’s application for international protection was being decided.

Mr Justice Cian Ferriter said the terms of section 56 of the International Protection Act 2015, which require a child of a refugee to be under 18 at the date of a family reunification application, is a matter of policy choice by the legislature and it follows that this section is not in breach of EU law, he said.