Policy and Advocacy

Our Policy and Advocacy work seeks to promote and protect the rights of refugees and people seeking protection in Ireland.  We do this through exploring and researching the issues that affect our clients, working in partnership with those with lived experience, and making recommendations to government and policymakers to advocate for a fair, efficient, and effective international protection procedure in Ireland. This includes the legal process of making an application and related issues like integration support, specific and holistic approaches to vulnerable applicants, the right to access education and the labour market, and the right to receive material reception conditions as laid out in the Reception Conditions Directive. 

Research

Our research explores emerging issues, trends, and legislative changes at the domestic and EU level, and seeks to provide evidence-based, practical recommendations to Government, to ensure a safe, legal and human rights-based model is safeguarded for all those
seeking protection in Ireland. We identify priority areas directly from those who access our services and endeavour to work in partnership with refugee lead organisations to represent their needs best.

Collaboration

Our policy and advocacy work includes collaboration with other civil society organisations and groups, often working on one specific
goal, such as strengthening integration supports, advocating for the improved treatment of unaccompanied minors and other 
particularly vulnerable applicants, or calling for larger-scale structural reform such as ending Direct Provision.

We seek to provide well-evidenced alternatives and solutions and are guided at all times by our service clients and international best practice models. In addition, our policy, advocacy, and communications team work directly with national media, offering clarity and insight at critical moments and commenting publicly on issues that are detrimental to our clients or undermine the legal right to seek international protection.

We also coordinate the Asylum Support Network, which links community-based volunteer organisations, national NGOs and charities, and other groups working with refugees and people seeking international protection to achieve positive policy change, share information and improve access to services.

Policy and Advocacy Priorities

• IPAS Accommodation Crisis
• Universal Child Benefit
• Ending Direct Provision 

For more information:

Email Ciara, Alan, or Madeleine

Our Impact in 2022

• Publication of Accommodation Crisis report and ongoing advocacy work on deterioration of standards in IPAS accommodation 
• Evaluation of Vulnerability Assessment pilot conducted and submitted to Minister Roderic O’Gorman   
• Submissions to the Government, research and engagement on implementation of Vulnerability Assessments for international protection applicants.  
• Authored the AIDA (Asylum Information Database) country report for 2022.   
• Engagement with government and other civil society groups advocating for the extension and implementation of independent monitoring of IPAS accommodation by HIQA, to include “emergency” and “pre-reception” accommodation.  
• Budget 2023 submissions to relevant departments, highlighting need for Universal Child Benefit to extend to children living in direct provision. 
• 6 reports authored and co-authored on a broad range of issues related to rights and entitlements for people in the protection system 
• Coordination of the Asylum Support Network, with over 190 active members from 90 organisations across Ireland.  
• Coordinated advocacy stakeholders on child protection and safeguarding young people in the international protection process.10 returns to the Lobbying Register.  
• In partnership with the Law Centre, direct advocacy conducted to push for procedural changes in age assessment procedure for unaccompanied minors in the international protection process