Responding to the changes announced today by the Department of Justice, the CEO of the Irish Refugee Council Nick Henderson said:
“These proposed changes are deeply alarming.
They severely undercut two key pillars of refugee integration: a clear route to citizenship and the ability to reunite with family. The government asks refugees to integrate but is removing their ability to do so.
These policies will keep families apart — separating children from their parents and separating husbands from wives, leaving loved ones languishing in their countries potentially also at risk of persecution.
They will also actively undermine refugees’ ability to build stable lives in Ireland, keeping people who have already been found to be at risk of persecution in a second-class status.
Make no mistake, the fallout and consequences of these policies will be on families, wives, husbands, partners and children; people who have fled persecution and been recognised as in need of protection and likely to be part of society for years to come. It is deeply disappointing that people will suffer at the expense of what could easily be described as political posturing.”
Family reunification changes:
“To be reunited with their family, people will now have to find accommodation in an already stretched rental market, prove they have the means to rent it, and then wait for their application to be processed, which currently takes a year and a half. This mirrors a requirement in the recent Afghan admissions programme that simply did not work and pushed people into extremely difficult situations. Our family reunification system is already very narrowly defined, slow and arduous. These changes may make it practically impossible to renew with loved ones.”
Citizenship changes:
“The reported proposal that a person must not be in receipt of certain social protection payments within the previous two years before an application is made is deeply concerning. Under this rule, a refugee seeking citizenship would be forced to make a choice: avoid all social supports — regardless of ill health, disability, pregnancy, sudden job loss or any other legitimate need or seek that support and jeopardise a citizenship application. Placing people in a invidious catch-22 like is deeply irresponsible.”
Contribution to accommodation changes:
“Regulation 5 of the Reception Conditions has already given the State the power to seek rent contributions from international protection applicants, in existence for seven years. People who are in stable, long-term employment, who are already paying tax, are willing to contribute in our experience.
However, the reality for most of the people we work with is very different: many are in part-time or precarious jobs, moving in and out of work, and supporting their families on very limited incomes.
There 9,608 children in IPAS accommodation, nearly a third of the total population. Children in the protection pro do not receive Child Benefit. We are concerned this policy, particularly without safeguards or an impact assessment, will push children further into poverty.
It is also unreasonable to expect people to contribute financially when the accommodation they are placed in is often poor-quality and unregulated (HIQA is only able to inspect 35 out of 319 centres), including more than 400 people living in government supplied tents.”