Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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32. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the assistance his Department is providing in relation to family reunification plans for Afghans living in Ireland with family in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46845/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Justice has responsibility for matters pertaining to family reunification visas. In response to the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, that Department is currently focused on processing family reunification applications for Afghan family members of Irish citizens and Afghan nationals living in Ireland.

A person can apply for family reunification under the International Protection Act 2015 if they have been granted a declaration as a Convention Refugee, are a beneficiary of Subsidiary Protection or if they have been granted Programme Refugee status.  

I am pleased that a special Afghan Admission Programme, with an allocation of up to 500 places, is being taken forward by the Department of Justice. This will allow current or former Afghan nationals living in Ireland to apply to bring their close Afghan family members to Ireland to live with them - with a particular focus on the most vulnerable.

My Department will continue its close cooperation with the Department of Justice, and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth on this and related matters.