EU citizens and their non-European partners now have far greater rights to reside in Ireland than Irish people and their non-EU spouses, according to Fine Gael’s immigration spokesperson.
Denis Naughten TD made his comments on the back of the European Commission’s guidelines giving free movement rights to non-EU partners in ‘durable relationships’ with European citizens.
“The spouses of Irish citizens will now have far fewer rights than the partners of EU citizens,” he said. “This is due to the combination of the new European Commission guidelines and the Government plans in the Immigration, Residency and Protection Bill to restrict the right to marry for a non-Irish citizen.”
Naughten added: “Under current law, any Irish person married to someone from outside the EU does not have a legal entitlement to bring their spouse to live with them in Ireland. This would include, for example, the American wife of an Irish citizen who has relocated back to Ireland in the last number of years with their three children who also hold Irish citizenship. This woman must apply individually to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service for temporary residency rights and then for long term residency rights.”
He said the proposed rules mean that this long drawn-out process will not apply to citizens from any other EU country in a long-term relationship with someone from outside the EU.
No comment from the Department of Justice was received by press time.
