News
Proposed reforms not a cure-all for the problems in the asylum process says Irish Refugee Council
Monday, 30 April 2012: Figures released by the Minister for Justice on subsidiary protection and delays in the system indicate that wider reform of the protection system is urgently needed says the Irish Refugee Council (IRC). The figures show a very low acceptance rate for those claiming subsidiary protection and very long delays from application [...]
Posted on: April 30, 2012
The Irish Refugee Council urge the Government to enhance protection for asylum seeking children after report to Human Rights Committee
The Irish Refugee Council (IRC) welcomes the Irish Government’s commitment to enhancing protection for all children in Irish society and urges it to extend the remit of the Ombudsman for Children to include asylum seeking children. The IRC also urges the Government to bring forward new legislation on asylum and immigration as a matter of [...]
Posted on: March 15, 2012
IRC meets with the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance to highlight institutional racism within the Irish asylum process.
The Irish Refugee Council (IRC) highlighted problems of exclusion and institutionalised poverty in the asylum system at a meeting with a delegation from the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) this morning (27/2/12). The IRC was particularly critical of the Irish reception system known as Direct Provision, whereby asylum seekers are given board, accommodation [...]
Posted on: February 28, 2012
President Higgins launches new initiatives in refugee law by the Irish Refugee Council
President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, today (17/2/12) formally launches two new initiatives for the development of refugee law in Ireland. At an event hosted by Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness, patron of the Irish Refugee Council (IRC) at the Bar Council, the President officially opens the Irish Refugee Council Independent Law Centre and marks the [...]
Posted on: February 17, 2012
Irish Refugee Council urges Minister to address root causes of problems in the asylum and immigration systems
The Irish Refugee Council urges the Minister for Justice to focus on fair and efficient decision-making procedures and to introduce a robust, independent appeal process as part of the reform of the asylum and immigration system. However, the IRC notes that the Minister’s statement on immigration failed to address the problems of lengthy delays and [...]
Posted on: January 4, 2012
Judgment of European Court of Justice reinforces our obligation to have respect for fundamental rights, says Irish Refugee Council
In a judgment of significant consequence for Ireland and other Member States, the European Court of Justice has ruled that asylum seekers cannot be sent back to other European countries pursuant to the Dublin II Regulation if they are at risk of being treated inhumanely there. Jacqueline Kelly, Managing Solicitor at the Irish Refugee Council [...]
Posted on: December 22, 2011
Service maps for young people in the asylum process show direct provision system is a major barrier to integration
Senator Jillian van Turnhout launches the Irish Refugee Council’s project ‘Mapping Services for Young People in the Asylum Process’ at 4pm today (13/12/11) in Crosscare’s Youth Aftercare Support Services. The project aims to foster the integration of children and young people living in Direct Provision in the local community through providing information on mainstream youth [...]
Posted on: December 13, 2011
Remembering the deaths of eight refugees in the Wexford container tragedy
This month marks the tenth anniversary of the eight people who died in a freight container while fleeing persecution in their native countries. On Sunday 11 December, Chief Executive of the Irish Refugee Council, Sue Conlan, will join a group of Turkish, Kurdish and Irish people to remember the three men, one woman and four [...]
Posted on: December 12, 2011
IRC submission to the European Commission on Racism and Intolerance highlights continuing failures in the asylum process
The Irish Refugee Council (IRC ) has criticised the state for maintaining systems that are time consuming, costly and hugely damaging to asylum seekers in order to make Ireland an unattractive place in which to claim asylum in its submission to the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ERCI). Sue Conlan, chief executive of the [...]
Posted on: November 25, 2011
Irish Refugee Council condemns racist comments by Councillor Scully
Sue Conlan, CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, says: “Negative stereotypes create racism. As we saw earlier this week when a Nigerian taxi driver was assaulted, this can lead to violence. We all have a role to play in counteracting negative stereotypes and our elected officials have a special role to play in promoting tolerance [...]
Posted on: November 22, 2011
