The Law on Family Reunification in Ireland

Given the ongoing lack of clarity on the criteria or issues to be considered by immigration officers determining matters on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality in relation to migrants' rights and entitlements, this article proposes that it is essential that matters such as family reunification, which affect human and constitutional rights of migrants and their family members, should be the subject of material law.

It explores the current situation regarding immigration law and the developing policies on family reunification in Ireland and goes on to analyse recent case-law from the European and national courts, with a particular focus on the rights of Irish nationals to family reunification in their country of nationality, Ireland. In conclusion, the article proposes a number of ways in which the situation of families seeking reunification with family members from outside Ireland may be improved and, as part of this section, also touches briefly on the issue of access to legal remedies.