Latest developments on migration and asylum in Ireland

14 Mar 2014

Developments at national level

  • New figures released by Eurostat on first residence permits show that Ireland granted 32,780 first residence permits to third country nationals in 2013, of which 21,394 (65.3% ) were issued for education reasons; 4,018 (12.3%) were granted employment related permits;  2,042 (6.2%) were issued for family reasons and 5,326 (16.2%) were issued for other reasons.
  • Ministers Fitzgerald and O Ríordáin announced the composition of Working Group to examine improvements to the Protection process and the Direct Provision system. The working group is being chaired by retired High Court Judge Bryan McMahon and its membership is drawn from a range of interests in the international protection area including UNHCR, non-governmental organisations, the protection seeker community, academia and relevant Government Departments and Offices.
  • The Reactivation Employment Permit (REP) Scheme came into effect on 1 October 2014. The scheme is designed to allow foreign nationals who enter the State on a valid Employment Permit but who fall out of the system through no fault of their own, or who have been badly treated or exploited in the workplace, to work legally again. The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service will accept applications for temporary immigration permission (Stamp 1) from eligible candidates.  Successful candidates will be granted a stamp 1 for four months.  During this four month period the applicant must apply to the Department of Enterprise Jobs and Innovation for a Reactivation Employment Permit.
  • In light of the Court of Justice of the European Union ruling in the case of HN v The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Ireland and the Attorney General, the Office for Refugee Appeals Commissioner (ORAC) has issued an Important Notice regarding the making of applications for Subsidiary Protection by Applicants for Refugee Status: subsidiary protection applications may now be made at the same time as applications for refugee status.
  • According to latest figures from Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC), 854 new asylum claims were registered for the period January – August 2014, an increase of approximately 40 per cent compared to the same period in 2013 (608 claims registered).
  • Minister Fitzgerald met with European Union Anti-Trafficking Co-ordinator Dr Myria Vassiliadou on 7 October. The Minister noted the need for innovative measures to ‘follow the money’ in international trafficking and said that steps must be taken to reduce demand for services of victims.
  • The Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald, together with the United Kingdom Home Secretary Theresa May, formally launched the British-Irish Visa Scheme in October.
  • Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) and the Irish Refugee Council (IRC) launched a new collaboration at their shared offices at 37 Dame Street, Dublin 2.  The collaboration has commenced with a joint Drop-In Centre for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

Reports

Newsletters

Events

  • 23 October 2014: Education in Ireland – Challenges and Opportunities for Migrants organised by New Communities Partnership (NCP). Email: [email protected] for further information.
  • 5 November 2014: Launch of Ruhama Annual Report 2013. Email: [email protected] for further information.
  • 14 November 2014:  Early Legal Advice for People in Need of International Protection Conference organised by Irish Refugee Council. Email: [email protected] for further information.
  • 27 November 2014:  Conference on Protection of Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children in Ireland and Europe: EMN Ireland, together with the UNHCR Ireland, will hold a half-day conference on Protection of Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children in Ireland and Europe on Thursday, 27 November 2014 in Dublin. Email: [email protected] for further information.

Event proceedings

17 September 2014

Developments at national level

  • The Department of Justice and Equality announced new measures to civilianise immigration functions currently undertaken by members of An Garda Síochána.
  • Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan, TD, announced the introduction of Guidelines for members of diplomatic missions in Ireland who intend to employ private domestic workers.
  • The Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Justice and Equality announced major reforms of the international education sector in response to issues raised by the closure of a number of private sector colleges this year.   The new rules will take effect from 1 January 2015 and are set out in the Policy Statement ‘Regulatory Reform of the International Education Sector and the Student Immigration Regime’.
  • The new Employment Permits (Amendment) Act 2014 entered into force in July 2014.  The Act amends the Employment Permits Acts 2003 and 2006 and introduces a range of measures to reform and update Ireland’s employment permits system, including in response to the case Hussein v the Labour Court & Anor.  The Act also supports the Government’s plan to attract ICT (information and communication technology) workers to Ireland.
  • In July 2014, the new Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2014 was also introduced.   The Act removes the presumption that persons are not habitually resident in the State if they have not been present in the Common Travel Area for a continuous period of 2 years at the date of making the application.
  • The Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald, T.D., announced the launch of the ‘British Irish Visa Scheme’ between Ireland and the United Kingdom, which will commence in Autumn 2014.
  • The Taoiseach appointed a new government cabinet in July 2014. Minister Frances Fitzgerald, T.D. was appointed Minister for Justice and Equality.

Statistics

Reports

Newsletters

Events

  • 26 September 2014: The sixth annual ‘Mothers and Daughters‘ annual fundraising lunch, organised by the Immigrant Council of Ireland. For more information email: [email protected]
  • Nasc, the Irish Immigrant Support Centre launched an anti-racism social media campaign ‘#EverydayRacism – 30 Days of Action’ for the month of September.
  • University College Cork (UCC) hosted a conference on Crisis, Mobility and New Forms of Migration in September. See http://migration2014.wordpress.com/ for more information.

 

14 March 2014

Developments at national level                                   

Statistics

  • Latest Central Statistics Office figures show less than one quarter of non-Irish nationals assigned PPSNs in 2007 were working during 2012.

Reports/Publications/Resources

Conference summaries

  • EDAL Conference 2014: Reflections on the Current Application of the EU Asylum Acquis  (Dublin, 17 – 18 January 2014): conference summary.
  • EMN Ireland Conference on Challenges and Responses to Identifying Victims of Trafficking (Dublin, 29 November 2013): conference presentations.
  • Racism and Hate Crime in Ireland: Is the legislative and policy framework adequate? (Nasc & UCC, Cork, October 2013): conference summary.

Newsletters