deportations of parents of irish citizens begins

national | rights, freedoms and repression | press release

Thursday July 31, 2003 19:26

by rar

On 17 July the Minister for Justice announced that a backlog of 11,000
claims for residency for non-EU immigrant parents solely on the basis
that
they have become parents of Irish citizen children have been nullified.
The first 400 notices of effective deportation have been issued by the
Department.

DEPORTATIONS OF PARENTS OF IRISH CITIZENS BEGIN

On 17 July the Minister for Justice announced that a backlog of 11,000
claims for residency for non-EU immigrant parents solely on the basis
that
they have become parents of Irish citizen children have been nullified.
The first 400 notices of effective deportation have been issued by the
Department.

The notices inform people that the Minister proposes to deport them,
and
tell them that they have 15 working days to make written
representations
for temporary leave to remain on humanitarian grounds, which may
include
parentage of Irish citizen, the length of time they have resided in
Ireland
and their family and domestic circumstances. Alternatively those issued
with the notices can agree to voluntary return option.

However, while the Irish state is prepared to fund the cost of
deportation,
the immigrants are not entitled to State-funded legal advice in
preparing
their submissions. According to the press, lawyers are charging between
2,000 and 4,000 euro for assistance with their humanitarian leave
applications.

According to the Constitution all persons born in the island of Ireland
are
Irish citizens. Until the Supreme Court ruling of January 2003, some
10,000
migrant parents have been granted leave to remain on the ground of
having
parented Irish citizens. The court decision reversed this situation and
as
of 19 February 2003 the Minister ceased accepting new applications for
leave to remain on the grounds of the birth of an Irish citizen.

While Irish citizens cannot be legally deported, they will be
practically
obliged to leave the country with their parents as the Minister made
clear
he will not be 'blackmailed' by parents threatening to leave their
children
behind, and, if necessary, that the courts will compel them to take
their
citizen children with them.

Immigrant parents are bewildered, confused, and need our support. Many
are
afraid to go back, many have integrated into Irish society and wish to
remain and make a contribution. Deporting parents of Irish citizens
infringes the rights of Irish citizens to the care and company of their
parents in the state of their citizenship and the integrity of the
family,
as enshrined in the Constitution.

Please show your support by organising local meetings, assisting
migrants
with legal advice, or writing letters to:
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern TD - the Department of the Taoiseach,
Government Buildings, Merrion Street, Dublin 2.
taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie
Michael McDowell, TD, Minister of Justice, Equality and Law Reform,
Dept
of JELR, 72/6 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2
to your local TD, and to the press.