Annual national conference on Migrant family reunification: policy and practice

Family reunification promotes the integration of migrants already in the host country and can be an important route to safety for the family members of refugees. Family migration is diverse in character but often closely linked to labour migration. The conference was organised to provide an opportunity to exchange information on family reunification schemes in Ireland and abroad.

Turks gezin op Rommelmarkt bij de Havendagen in Vollenhove. | Foto: Valentijn Brandt/Nationale Beeldbank
Turks gezin op Rommelmarkt bij de Havendagen in Vollenhove. | Foto: Valentijn Brandt/Nationale Beeldbank

The conference brought together a range of speakers on the issue in order to provide international context, to discuss and compare the family reunification policy frameworks in other EU Member States, and to provide insights on the Irish system from national policymakers and I/NGOs working in the field.

Discussions on the comparative situation at EU level drew on the European Migration Network Study Family Reunification of Third Country Nationals in the EU plus Norway, published in April 2017 and on the EMN Ireland study Family Reunification of non-EU nationals in Ireland, published in May 2017.

Speakers from international organisations, Ireland and other EU Member States (Netherlands and France) and Irish policymakers and I/NGOs working in the field in Ireland spoke over three thematic sessions – International context; Family reunification law and policy in the EU Member States; and Family reunification in Ireland.

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