The Immigrant Council of Ireland has said that some families living in Ireland are being denied a right to live with their spouses, partners and children because of inadequacies in the Irish immigration system.
That is according to a study conducted by the council and published today.
Currently there is no legislation dealing with the rights of Irish citizens and non-EU nationals living in Ireland to have their family members from outside the European Union join them here.
The council's Chief Executive, Denise Charlton, said it was not acceptable that while EU citizens working in Ireland have an automatic right to be joined by their non-EU spouse and children, Irish citizens do not enjoy the same rights.
The situation is highlighted in the policy paper which is based on an analysis of the experiences of 56 people who have applied for family reunification in this country in recent years.
In a statement, the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, welcomed the report as a contribution to the ongoing debate on immigration.
He pointed to a number of recent family reunification initiatives which have improved the situation for the spouses of EU nationals and work permit holders and indicated that his department will be addressing the issue related to the spouses of Irish citizens in the context of forthcoming legislation.
