Press Release 29/11/11
Families Destroyed by Bureaucracy
A reduction in application waiting times in the family reunification process was called for today (29/11/11) by The Integration Centre. The current processing time is 18 months.
Killian Forde, CEO of The Integration Centre, said “In this time young children are separated from parents, and husbands from wives. This situation attacks the very basis upon which Irish society is built.”
The protection of family life is enshrined in Article 41 of the Irish Constitution:
“The State recognises the Family as the natural primary and fundamental unit group of Society, and as a moral institution possessing inalienable and imprescriptible rights, antecedent and superior to all positive law.”
Refugees and recipients of Subsidiary Protection are entitled to apply for Family Reunification in keeping with the 1951 UN Convention and the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations 2006.
Mr Forde continued “Refugees and recipients of Subsidiary Protection have often been through traumatic experiences, they should not have further trauma inflicted."
"Despite being protected by law and entitled to have their families live with them in Ireland, refugees wait 18 months for this application to be processed. The reality is that in this time baby’s turn into toddlers, toddlers into children, and spouses lose partners. Families disintegrate."
"Between 2001 and 2011 4,107 applications for Family Reunification were made on behalf of 8,876 family members in Ireland. In a time span of ten years it averages out to around 400 applications made per year. To these 400 families this application means everything."
"We are asking the government this Christmas to put family first and to ensure that application times for family reunification take no more than 6 months."
The campaign is called 'Give the Gift of Family this Christmas'. A petition has been set up through The Integration Centre website, wherein people can sign theire name to a letter which will be sent to the Taoiseach Enda Kenny, and the Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore.
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Contact: Helena Clarke on 01 645 3092 / 087-9610897; 1st and 2nd Floors, 18 Dame Street Dublin 2, helena.clarke@integrationcentre.ie, www.integrationcentre.ie
Visit the campaign online
here
The Integration Centre is committed to the integration and inclusion of people from immigrant backgrounds in Ireland. The Centre specialises in planning, monitoring and advocacy at city, local, national and international levels, and it also provides regionalized information, advice and training services. Evidence-based research influences positive change in legislation, policy and practice. We have more than 250 affiliated organisations as part of our network.