New government policy represents an attack on migrant workers’ rights, an attack on family values, and will cause heartache for thousands of workers and their loved ones.
The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) has condemned the Department of Justice’s publication today (Wednesday, 26 November 2025) of a new Family Reunification policy, saying it will significantly restrict migrant workers’ ability to bring their families to Ireland.
For the first time, the policy introduces application fees, new accommodation requirements, and an income assessment that only considers the earnings of a single sponsor—making it far more difficult for many workers to meet the financial threshold.
Neil Bruton, MRCI Co-Director said “The policy announced today essentially says that if you are a migrant worker in care, restaurants, or food production you simply cannot bring your child here at all.”
The review comes in the wake of several years of campaigning by frustrated workers who have found that the current rules leave them denied the right to have their partner or child here for up to 7 years.
The policy announced today will retain:
- A 12-month waiting period prior to application
- A base salary threshold to bring a spouse of €30,000
- Incredibly high thresholds to bring children (€44,300 for 1 child which increases to over €50,000 in 2026 and even higher rates for multiple children)
Reacting to the changes migrant workers expressed enormous disappointment at the outcome of the review.
Bethel Muzaya, who works as a carer in Dublin said “This changes nothing for me. They will still impose a salary check which I can’t meet. But they decided what salary I should earn. Why does this country value care work so little? They are basically telling me I can come to work but I need to live an isolated life here away from my children.”
Angelina Nyoni, a support worker based in County Cavan and mother of two said, “My only wish is to have my children here with me, so I can provide for them, and raise them as any mother would want to. We have been putting all our hope into this review and to see what’s been published today is heartbreaking. We contribute everything we have here, why do we not matter enough to have the basic right of our families being with us?”
Neil Bruton, Co-Director with MRCI concluded, “We are shocked that this new policy is more restrictive than before. We keep hearing this government say they value migration. This was a chance to really show that and from what we see today they clearly do not value the people who come here to work. People who are doing essential jobs, caring for our vulnerable, preparing our food, labouring on our farms, will continue to be kept apart from their loved ones. This is not fair and we strongly urge the Minister to reconsider.”
Income thresholds for Family Reunification in 2026 include the following:
- One child – €50,200
- Two children – €60,200
- Three children – €69,500
- Four children – €77,100
- Five children – €85,800
*Ends
Notes to Editor
- MRCI Policy Brief for 2025/2026.
- Families Belong Together: MRCI Family Reunion Campaign Page.
- Family Reunion Policy is set by the Department of Justice.
- The previous policy and the new policy in its entirety can be found on the Department of Justice website.
- The press release from the Department of Justice will appear here.
- According to the previous policy:
- People from outside the EU working on general employment permits must wait at least 12-months before they can apply to the Department of Justice for family reunion to bring a family member such as a child or spouse. (In contrast people from outside the EU with critical skills employment permits do not have to wait and have the immediate right to bring immediate family members).
- Applications for family reunion are subject to a strict income assessment in which the applicant must demonstrate net earnings above a certain level determined by the Department. Often this income must be demonstrated for two full years. If the minimum income is not met an application is denied.
- Thousands of people in Ireland cannot meet the annual income required under the policy to reunite with their family members. This remains the case with the new policy introduced today. In 2025, the net annual salary required by an applicant to bring just one child is over €44,300.
