Irish Refugee Council criticises Government's immigration proposals

James Cox

The Irish Refugee Council is criticising a proposed tightening of immigration rules.

Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan is to bring a number of memos to Cabinet on Wednesday.

Mr O'Callaghan is expected to bring three memos to Cabinet. One will require refugees who are working to pay towards their own accommodation.

Another will limit which family members someone granted status here can bring to Ireland to direct relatives - children, spouses and dependent parents.

Nick Henderson, chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council, said some of the conditions being attached, including that the person must have their own accommodation, will make things difficult.

Mr Henderson told Newstalk: "Firstly, it currently takes about 18 months for a family unification application to be processed. So a person, it seems, would have to find accommodation and try to keep that accommodation free and try to pay for it in the duration of their application."

The Government is also planning to increase the wait time to the residency rules around citizenship from three to five years, and putting restrictions in place meaning those who have been getting a social welfare payment from the State or owe money to the State won't be able to apply.

The moves have been worked on for some time but come in part in response to the UK also tightening its immigration rules.

Mr Henderson added: "I just don't see how that's practical or reasonable. Is that actually quite irresponsible? To place somebody in a position where they have a choice of trying to get some support if they for example have lost their job, or they've become unwell, or if they have a disability or are pregnant.

"Somebody has that choice to take that support or just wait, sit it out, hope that they get better."