The guidelines for family reunification in Ireland are primarily managed by administrative programs, most notably the Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy Document, which was established in December 2013 and later revised to reflect the legislative modifications resulting from the International Protection Act 2015.
It is important to recognize that Irish citizens, while being European citizens, are not subject to Directive 2004/38/EC (the “2004 Directive”) when residing in Ireland, nor are their family members. This directive was integrated into Irish law through the 2015 European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations (the “2015 Regulations”).
This text does not include statutory family reunification for beneficiaries of the International Protection Act 2015, as these cases are beyond the scope of the Policy Document.
The aim of the Policy Document is to provide a comprehensive overview of Ireland’s national immigration policy concerning family reunification without restricting the Minister’s discretion in this domain. The Minister’s discretion will primarily be exercised by establishing overarching policies and guidelines while allowing some leeway for decision-makers to use their professional judgment on the Minister’s behalf.
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