On World Children’s Day, children everywhere will celebrate their right to grow up in safety, dignity and love. But because of Ireland’s family reunification policy, hundreds of children will spend the day oceans away from their parents- separated not by war or disaster, but by Government policy.
Right now, migrant workers on General Employment Permits are being kept apart from their families for between 30 months and up to seven years because of Ireland’s restrictive Family Reunification Policy.
These are the people who keep our hospitals, nursing homes and food production lines running- caring for Irish patients, older people and children every day. Yet after their shift ends, they cannot go home to their own children or spouses.
A Policy That Divides Families
Under the current system, a worker on a General Employment Permit cannot apply to bring their spouse or children to Ireland for the first 12 months. After that, they face another 18-month wait before the Government will even consider their application.
In practice, this means families are separated for at least two and a half years — and because of harsh income thresholds, many remain apart for up to seven.
By contrast, those on Critical Skills Employment Permits — typically engineers, IT specialists or doctors — can apply for family reunification immediately, without any income requirements.
What this effectively says is that if you are a doctor, you have a right to your children, but if you are a care worker or meat-factory employee, you do not. It is a two-tier system that values some families over others.
International human rights law is clear: family policies must be framed from the perspective of the child. Yet Ireland’s policy implies that the child of an engineer has more rights than the child of a care worker.
“I Miss Hearing Their Laughter Around the House.”
The impact is devastating. In a recent Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) survey, only 11% of workers said they were aware of these restrictions before arriving in Ireland.
Tsitsi Handreck, a healthcare worker and mother of two young boys, described what she misses most:
”I miss watching them grow and learn every day. Hearing their voices and laughter around the house. I miss their love. I miss hugging and kissing my boys.
Another mother, who asked not to be named, said the policy has “deprived her children of motherhood.”
”I’m crying right now as I type. I’m lonely, I feel lost. It’s traumatic and draining not being a mother to your kids for two good years. I miss my family and had a time when I had a breakdown.
This same woman spends her days caring for the elderly and supporting people with autism and intellectual disabilities- helping others live full lives. But as she asks, what about her own life?
A father of two, working as an electro-mechanical technician, listed the things he misses most:
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- I miss the hugs and kisses from my children.
- I miss bedtime stories.
- I miss taking them to school.
- I miss making them breakfast and playing Lego together.
A Cruel Choice
When workers come to Ireland, they hope to earn a living and give their families a better future. They should not be forced to choose between providing for their children and being present in their lives.
And they should not be punished for doing essential work. If you can care for Ireland’s children and elderly, you should be trusted to care for your own.
A Simple Fix
The heartbreak could end tomorrow. Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has the power to change the rules. By removing the 12-month waiting period and scrapping the income thresholds, he could ensure that all full-time workers in Ireland, regardless of their job title, have the right to live with their families.
This is not a radical proposal. It is a moral one- grounded in fairness, equality and the belief that every child deserves their parent.
“Behind Every Carer, There’s a Family Far Away”
One healthcare worker separated from her four children put it best:
“Behind every carer, nurse, or worker you meet in Ireland, there is often a family far away — children growing up without a parent, partners carrying the weight alone, parents longing for their children. Family reunification would mean healing these wounds. It would mean we can give more to our work, to Ireland, and to our loved ones because we no longer live with a divided heart.”
To mark World Children’s Day, the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) will hold a Rally for Family Reunion on Thursday, 20th November 2025, outside Leinster House, Dublin, at 12 noon.
No child should have to celebrate World Children’s Day without their parents – and no worker should have to choose between earning a living and being a parent.
