Immigrant Council of Ireland to Highlight Need for Effective Family Reunification Polices

Ireland has the least favourable family reunification policies of any country in the EU, and the Government must take immediate steps to address this situation...
Speaking from The Netherlands, Denise Charlton said it was ‘shameful’ that Ireland was so far behind other EU member states in relation to family reunification. “The MIPEX index – which compares integration policies across over 30 countries – found Ireland to have the least favourable family reunification policies of any country in Europe or North America,” she said.  “This is a shameful situation, not only because of how a lack of clear-cut family reunification policies can impact on individuals’ lives, but also because facilitating family reunification facilitates immigrant integration and social cohesion. 
“We experienced high levels of immigration in Ireland in the past, but – without effective family reunification policies – we are unlikely to achieve effective integration over the coming years. 
“Unlike other EU member states, Ireland has no national rules regarding family reunification enshrined in primary legislation.  In addition, the Government opted out of the EC Directive on the right to family reunification so, generally, decisions currently taken in this area are based purely on the discretion of the Minister for Justice.  The wide discretion granted to the Minister has led to inconsistencies and a lack of transparency in the decision-making process, and this anomaly must be addressed.”...
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