Colette Kelleher (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming to the House today. Today I am raising the tragic situation faced by Lilav Mohamed and her family. Lilav fled Syria eight years ago having spent some years in Greece and, before that, in Turkey. Eventually, the family settled in Clones in Ireland. However, Lilav and her family remain separated from her sister, Jihan, Jihan's husband and their two baby daughters. They remain in war-torn Syria.

Due to the overly rigid parameters of the International Protection Act, Lilav and her family have no entitlement to apply to bring her sister and family to Ireland to safety. This is not an isolated case. Other vulnerable people and their families have struggled unnecessarily with our recently-changed system of family reunification. Only last month the Sido family's terrible situation was highlighted in the media and that of lzzeddeen Alkarajeh, who gave a statement to the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality when the committee was undertaking detailed scrutiny on the International Protection (Family Reunification) (Amendment) Bill last February. I have mentioned three personal cases - there are many more - where our more restrictive recent approach to family reunification is causing undue hurt and unnecessary hardship. This is undermining the benefits of refugee status here making it more difficult for people to settle after trauma that we can only imagine.

When the Taoiseach addressed the House recently he said he was open to considering the recommendations of the soon-to-be-published report of the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality on the family reunification Bill. He said that, once properly considered, it is something he would like to support and definitely had an open mind on. I was encouraged by that. More recently, on 19 May, the Taoiseach spoke movingly at the National Famine Commemoration memorial in Sligo. He stated:

I believe the best way we can honour those who suffered and died during the Great Famine is by showing empathy with those who are experiencing similar problems today [like Lilav's family], whether through natural disaster[, war] or oppression. ... We were refugees once and we recall the great compassion and the open doors shown around the world. It is seared on our collective memories as we work to assist today’s refugees.

Humane family reunification processes are part of what we can do to assist today's refugees. It represents real tangible assistance and is consistent with the Irish understanding of family being broad not narrow. The demonstration of empathy to refugees that the Taoiseach commended on 19 May is exactly what Lilav's classmates in Largy College, Clones, have told us about at first hand in Leinster House two weeks ago. The compassion that An Taoiseach commended on 19 May is also demonstrated by the more than 1,000 people in Clones who signed a petition. I hope the Minister will take notice of it.The International Protection (Family Reunification) (Amendment) Bill 2017 passed its final stages in the Seanad in March 2018 with a large majority and passed through Second Stage in the Dáil with an overwhelming majority - 78 to 39. In February, the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality received the Bill for detailed scrutiny and we are expecting a favourable report in the coming weeks. What avenues are available to Lilav Mohamed and her family to apply for family reunification for her sister and her young family? I implore the Minster to consider this particular case and the cases of the Sido and Al Karajah families and to take account of the Taoiseach's own words on refugees fleeing war and oppression and of the International Protection (Family Reunification) (Amendment) Bill 2017. I am eager to engage with him and his Department. I look forward to hearing his response.