Government defends three-year wait before refugees can be reunited with families

The Taoiseach and Justice Minister have defended proposed changes to introduce a three-year wait period before refugees can apply for family reunification.

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan brought the International Protection Bill 2025 to Cabinet on Tuesday, which seeks to introduce immigration reforms as part of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum coming into effect from June this year.

He said the bill would require a decision on asylum forms within three months and any appeals must be concluded in a further three months.

The changes also include a three-year wait time for people granted asylum in Ireland before they can apply for family reunification, and they must also prove they are self-sufficient.

Mr O’Callaghan defended the family reunification changes during an interview on RTE Radio.

He said: “If I’m a person who has applied for and is granted asylum in Ireland today, tomorrow, I can apply to bring my family here.

“I’m proposing that that be changed, that the individual must wait for a period of three years, and they must show self sufficiency.

“And the reason why I’m introducing that is I’ve no desire to be cruel to anyone, but when it comes to family reunification, I have to strike a fair balance between, on the one hand, the applicant’s interest in being reunited with his or her family, but also on the other hand, with the interest of the community as a whole to control immigration with a view to protecting the economic well being of the country, to ensuring effective integration of those granted protection, and to preserving social cohesion.”

He cited a European Court of Human Rights case from 2023 which he said stated there was “a balancing act” in relation to family reunification applications.

Asked about the aim of such proposals while on his way into Cabinet, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said it was important to “get the balance right” in asylum law.

He said: “I think we have to have a fair system in terms of the asylum process.

“The most important aspect of that, I think, is to have a faster application process that people get results to their applications earlier, both in terms of the initial phase of the application and then subsequently in relation to any appeals – and that work is under way and quite significant progress has been made in terms of speeding up decisions in relation to applications for asylum.”

Mr Martin added: “And then what we’re doing aligns with the wider European Union experience and I think it’s important to get the balance right.”

The move was met with criticism from some quarters, with the Social Democrats’ Gary Gannon calling the changes “performative toughness”.

“Just over 1% of migration to Ireland occurs through family reunification,” he said.

“Restricting this pathway will not create housing, speed up processing, or relieve pressure on public services.

“It will only keep families apart.”

Aontu leader and Meath West TD Peadar Toibin welcomed the changes, and said the Government had not done enough on migration.

“Family reunification is not specifically for the purpose of providing shelter for those fleeing war and violence,” he said.

“It goes beyond that objective.

“If there are family members that need asylum, that route is open currently.”