EMN Ireland conference on Migrant family reunification: policy and practice

27 Nov 2017

This conference takes place on Monday 27 November and provides an opportunity to exchange information on family reunification schemes in Ireland and abroad.

Family reunification promotes the integration of migrants already in the host country and can be an important route to safety for the family members of refugees. Family migration is diverse in character but often closely linked to labour migration.

The Irish system of family reunification for refugees has seen important changes recently, including the announcement last week of a new scheme under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme. Such developments will be discussed by the responsible authorities as well as I/NGOs working in the field. Speakers from: OECD; UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency; and the International Organization for Migration will provide international context. Drawing on the findings of a recently published European Migration Network study, the family reunification policy frameworks in place elsewhere in the EU will be discussed and compared.

Speakers include:

  • Jonathan Chaloff, Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, OECD
  • Patrick Corcoran, International Organization for Migration
  • Daniela Cicchella, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
  • Samantha Arnold, EMN Ireland
  • Hans Lemmens, EMN NCP and Immigration and Naturalisation Service, Ministry of Security and Justice, Netherlands
  • Julie Wington, Direction de l’immigration, Direction Générale des étrangers en France, Ministère de l’Intérieur (General Directorate for Foreign Nationals in France, Ministry of the Interior)
  • Brian Merriman, Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, Department of Justice and Equality
  • Fiona Hurley, NASC: The Irish Immigrant Support Centre
  • Susan McMonagle, UNHCR Ireland, the UN Refugee Agency

Download conference programme.

Presentations will be available to download following the event.

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