Keep Families Together This Christmas – Email your TDs now!

Posted On: December 4, 2018

Families should always be together, especially at Christmas – but that’s not the case for refugee families living in Ireland right now. Our rules mean families forced to flee persecution are not able to stay together. This has a devastating impact on the lives of refugees living in Ireland – separating children from their parents, dividing siblings and destroying extended family networks.

With your help we can ensure that families can finally be reunited.

The International Protection (Family Reunification) (Amendment) Bill 2017 will be brought before the Dáil this Thursday (6th Dec).

This Bill aims to undo the unintended consequences of a law brought in 2015 which narrowed the definition of family for refugees to a spouse and any children under 18. This means refugees living in Ireland remain separated from their children over 18, civil partners, siblings, parents, grandparents and guardians.

This causes more pain and trauma for families fleeing persecution – people who have already suffered enough and are now trying to rebuild their lives.

We need to make sure this bill is passed – so that that families can be together.

Please take action today by contacting your local TDs. Ask them to ensure that this bill passes now so that families desperate to be reunited with their loved ones can be together as soon as possible.

You can find out who your local TDs are by visiting www.whoismytd.com and use the template letter below, or write your own.

Dear Deputy,

Families should always be together, especially at Christmas. Our rules mean families forced to flee persecution are not able to stay together. This has a devastating impact on the lives of refugees living in Ireland – separating children from their parents, dividing siblings and destroying extended family networks. It also causes even more pain and trauma for families fleeing conflict, persecution, poverty and disaster – people who have already suffered enough and are now trying to rebuild their lives.

Please support the International Protection (Family Reunification) (Amendment) Bill 2017 this Thursday, 6^th Dec.

With your help we can ensure that families can finally be reunited.

Wishing you and yours the very best this festive season,

https://www.irishrefugeecouncil.ie/news/keep-families-together-this-christmas-email-your-tds-now/6804