Paul Hosford: Minister's focus is on the immigration system, not on the people within it

Changes in citizenship eligibility, family reunification and salary thresholds for migrants were among the sweeping changes introduced by justice minister Jim O'Callaghan today

The tents of people seeking international protection being moved from outside the International Protection Office in Dublin last year. The latest policies include requirements for those who are in IPAS accommodation — regardless of the type — to contribute a portion of their earnings if they are working. File photo: Sasko Lazarov / © RollingNews.ie

In a recent poll, some 82% of people who responded said they did not believe that the Government is doing enough to address the immigration issue.

But the same poll also revealed that 57% of respondents did not believe that protests, like those seen at Citywest last month, should be allowed.

While the two findings might appear at first glance incongruous, there is a certain logic to them. Irish people, generally, do not seem to believe that asylum seekers should be targeted, but want to at least believe that there is a system in place which is fair and that is working.

How to balance those two combined realities has been a challenge which justice minister Jim O'Callaghan has taken on since his appointment by Taoiseach Micheál Martin earlier this year. Mr O'Callaghan, well known for his own legal background, clearly believes a system which the public has faith in can be delivered. 

On Wednesday, he delivered the most sweeping changes yet. The latest policies include new rules governing asylum seekers, citizenship eligibility and family reunification, as well as requirements for those who are in IPAS accommodation — regardless of the type — to contribute a portion of their earnings if they are working. 

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Many of these changes will require new legislation, for which a heads of bill is being prepared, but the most controversial, surrounding family reunification, will come into effect immediately. Family reunification gives certain family members permission to live in Ireland with the holder of an international protection declaration. 

Mr O'Callaghan said around 23,000 people came to Ireland last year through family reunification procedures, including families of both asylum grantees and those with work permits.

Within the new rules, there will be retention of a 12-month waiting period prior to application, a base salary threshold to bring a spouse of €30,000 and higher thresholds to bring children — starting at a gross salary of €44,300 for one child, which increases to over €50,000 in 2026 and even higher rates for multiple children.

The Migrants Rights Council of Ireland condemned the policy announcement which, they say, "changes nothing for migrant workers and in fact will make it harder for people to bring family here due to new fees and accommodation requirements". 

Which is not just true, it's the point.

Asked by the Irish Examiner about the salary threshold — around €7,000 more than the starting rate of pay for a member of An Garda Síochána — Mr O'Callaghan was unapologetic and crystalised the Government position and the needle which it is attempting to thread.

He said:

It would be absolutely wonderful if we could say anyone who wants to come to Ireland, can. But we have to be realistic. 

"We're entitled to say that people coming in, that they have to be self-sufficient, and then if you're going to bring in an elderly parent, you're going to bring in a number of children that they are going to be cared for by you, the person who has applied to bring them in. 

"I think that is a perfectly reasonable position, and I don't think it should be viewed as targeting people coming here."

He also accepted the thresholds are high, the granting of citizenship will get harder, and that while individual circumstances of migrant workers recruited to fill needs here and separate from their families are "going to be of great concern to the individual", but that "as minister, I've got to take into account the impact, not just in terms of population, but the impact in terms of social services and the ability of the State to provide for persons coming in who can't be accommodated".

The tone has shifted on immigration, certainly, but for Mr O'Callaghan, the focus is now on the system and not the people in it, regardless of how much the system impacts them.