Immigration

Denise Brett SC has been elected as chairperson of the Immigration, Asylum and Citizenship Bar Association (IACBA) at its first-ever AGM. The association, established last year with support from The Bar of Ireland, brings together barristers practising in this specialised area of law, which also inc

Immigration permissions have been extended for a third and final time in response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Permissions due to expire between 20 July and 20 August 2020 are set to be automatically extended for one month, including for people in Ireland on short stay visas and those whose permi

The visa waiver programme allowing people visiting the UK on short stay visas to travel to Ireland has been temporarily suspended because of a "divergence in approach" to the COVID-19 pandemic. The measure, announced today by Justice Minister Helen McEntee, will affect nationals from 17 countries, i

The online registration renewal system has been expanded to include all non-nationals based in Dublin who are seeking to renew their registration in the State. The expansion of the online system follows a successful pilot programme which saw around 3,500 third level students renew their registration

Alan Desmond, law lecturer at the University of Leicester, considers whether African-Americans could come to Ireland as refugees. Recent months have seen a growing international focus on use of excessive force against African-Americans by police in the US. The killing of George Floyd, in particular,

Two people who came to Ireland as refugees but were subsequently naturalised as Irish citizens were unlawfully denied access to the family reunification scheme, the Supreme Court has found in a landmark ruling. The judgment in the joint test cases of MAM v. The Minister for Justice and Equality and

Non-EEA students based in Dublin can renew their immigration registration online under a new system launched today. The Department of Justice said the change would significantly reduce the "bureaucratic burden" placed on applicants and improve processing times.

The Supreme Court has held that the High Court erred in granting certiorari of the Minister for Justice’s refusal of an application for liberty to enter and remain in the State. The judgment concerned the interpretation and application of Directive 2004/38/EC On the Right of Citizens of the Un

Asylum seekers continue to face major barriers to entering employment more than three years after a landmark Supreme Court ruling on the right to work, the Irish Refugee Council has said. The absolute prohibition on employment for asylum seekers was found to be unconstitutional by Ireland's top cour

The high-profile legal battle between campaigner Emma DeSouza and the Home Office has come to an end following changes to the Immigration Rules. Mrs DeSouza took legal action in 2015 after her husband Jake was denied a residence card sought as the spouse of an EEA national rather than the spouse of

Legislation providing for the introduction of a points-based UK immigration system after Brexit has passed second reading in the House of Commons. The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2020, supported by the Democratic Unionist Party, was passed by 351-252.

Family migration rules have been amended for people in Northern Ireland in line with the deal struck in January to restore devolution. Under the new immigration rules, family members of British or dual British-Irish citizens from Northern Ireland will be able to apply for status under the EU settlem

Immigration permissions due to expire between 20 May and 20 July 2020 will be automatically extended for two months, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has announced. The measure includes people in Ireland on short stay visas or awaiting first registration, as well as those whose permissions were alr

Immigration experts have accused the Home Office of interfering with the independence of the judiciary after it queried the number of detainees being released during the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter sent to the president of the First-Tier Tribunal, Immigration and Asylum Chamber last week, a se

Immigration permissions due to expire in the next two months will be automatically extended in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The registration office in Burgh Quay in Dublin has closed for the coming weeks with immediate effect because its high footfall carries an increased risk of COVID-19 t