Asylum seekers will be able to seek work in Ireland six months after making their application for international protection under new rules announced today. Applicants previously had to wait nine months to apply for permission to work. They will now be able to apply after six months and their permiss
Immigration
Immigration and international protection permissions have been temporarily extended for a further two months. This is the sixth extension announced by Justice Minister Helen McEntee since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and the third described as "final".
A new podcast hosted by a Northern Ireland immigration solicitor is aiming to reclaim the phrase "activist lawyer" in order to fight back against government attacks on the legal profession. Sarah Henry, director of immigration services at Newry-based Granite Immigration Law, launched the Activist La
The Court of Appeal has vacated an Order of the High Court refusing an award of costs in an immigration case where certain documents were delivered one day after a deadline had expired. Background
The immigration registration office in Burgh Quay, Dublin has reopened for first-time registrations following the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions. First-time registrations were not possible while the office was closed because of the requirement to take biometrics, i.e. fingerprints, during the p
The Home Office's widely-condemned "hostile environment" measures breached equality law with particular impact on black members of the Windrush generation, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has said. The equality watchdog's new assessment highlights that that the negative consequences
Immigration and international protection permissions have been extended for a fifth and possibly final time. Justice Minister Helen McEntee today announced the temporary extension for permissions that are due to expire between 20 September 2020 and 20 January 2021.
Mr Justice Max Barrett has criticised the State for an "appallingly protracted" 18-month delay in a deportation case. The case concerned a Pakistani woman and her daughter who came to Ireland in 2014, joining the woman's brother who had been a UK and EU citizen since 2001. The move came after the wo
The Home Office has been roundly condemned by lawyers across the UK for attacking the integrity of the legal profession and undermining the rule of law after releasing a video accusing "activist lawyers" of delaying deportations. The video, which was posted on the Home Office's Twitter page but late
An Garda Síochána has been criticised for referring migrants who assist gardaí in criminal investigations to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) as a matter of policy. Once a case has been concluded, migrant witnesses who gardaí suspect do not have the right to l
New immigration rules allowing for family members of people in Northern Ireland to apply for status under the EU settlement scheme have come into force. The revised rules specify that a "relevant person of Northern Ireland" – meaning a British citizen, an Irish citizen, or British-Irish dual c
The High Court has ordered that the Minister for Justice and Equality must establish a medical panel for the purposes of section 23 of the International Protection Act 2015. Background
The Court of Appeal has affirmed the judgment of the High Court refusing family reunification where the applicant's marriage was, at the time of contracting, actually polygamous. The ruling in I.H. (Afghanistan) v. Minister for Justice and Equality [2020] IECA 241 marks the latest occasion on which
The Supreme Court has held that a ministerial finding that a marriage amounted to a marriage of convenience does not make it a legal nullity. Background
A marriage is not void in law just because the Minister of Justice has found it to be a marriage of convenience, the Supreme Court has ruled in a landmark judgment. In his judgment, Mr Justice William McKechnie said a determination by the minister under certain regulations "does not have the effect