Thousands of workers from overseas are being denied the opportunity to bring their families to Ireland because the income requirements set by Government have become impossible for them to meet, protesters at Leinster House heard on Thursday.
Bethel Muzaya, who is from Zimbabwe, arrived in Ireland three years ago and works as an assistant support worker in a nursing home in Wicklow. Having waited the required year, she applied to have her children, Riley and Erin, 13 and 11 respectively, join her in 2023 but received word in April 2024 the application had been rejected.
“In June I appealed and it has been more than a year and I am still waiting for the outcome,” she said. “I lost my husband recently and the children are with a caregiver because I’m not there to support them. My children are without their father, I pay taxes, I pay rent but I’m still waiting on a decision.”
Becoming deeply upset as she spoke, Ms Muzaya said that if she was in Ireland on a critical skills permit, one used to bring doctors, computer engineers and other highly qualified workers into the country, she would be able to bring her children here too but “I’m on a general work permit so I can’t have my family”.
RM Block
“I’m taking care of Irish people in care homes but I am not allowed to take care of my own family. I am not asking for my neighbours or friends ... I’m asking for my children. The people in those chambers, discussing these issues,” she said pointing to Leinster House, “they can change the rules but they can be at home with their children in five minutes. For me, if I hear my child needs help it might take three days for me to be there. A lot can happen in three days.”
She said the stress she has suffered as a result of her situation recently caused much of her hair to fall out and she continues to struggle because of it. “This is not about being Irish, or being black or white ... it’s about humans needing their families with them.”
Her mother, she says, came to Ireland 20 years ago and is now an Irish citizen but at the time she could not bring her because of the same barriers she now faces. “I lived it as a child, being left, and now it’s happening my children again.”
Angelina Nyoni, also from Zimbabwe and here for almost three years, said she has had her application to bring her family rejected and subsequently lodged an appeal. She too is waiting on the outcome.
“I’ve got a 12 year-old, when I left him he was nine, and a 22 year-old. I have a loving husband. They want to come here and not for handouts. My husband is well educated, skilled, my son too. The younger one, he needs to be with his mom.”
Ms Nyoni, who works as a support workers for a private care provider in Cavan, says she believes her gross wages, including overtime, of €44,000 this year, meets the criteria for reunification and she has sought to address the other hurdles.
However, Neil Bruton, codirector of Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, says the requirements have increased substantially in recent years as they are linked to the Department of Social Protection’s Working Family Payment scheme, the thresholds for which have themselves increased.
“We have thousands of workers who have come into the country earning between €27,000 and €30,000, up to €34,000, who are being denied the right to family reunion until they become citizens because they simply cannot meet the salary thresholds that are being imposed by this Government.”
“We now have a situation where to bring in one child you effectively need to be earning more than €40,000 and for two children, you need to be earning more than €50,000. So we have a situation here where for anyone working as a healthcare assistant, as a meat factory worker, as a mushroom picker, is it is virtually impossible for them to have their child here with them.”
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has said the department’s aim is to deal with applications for family reunification within 12 months. The department is scheduled to publish a review of its family reunification on Tuesday.
Asked what changes he expects to be recommended, Mr Bruton said: “We have to be optimistic.”
