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To: The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration; the Department of Justice; and the Houses of the Oireachtas, including TDs and Senators responsible for citizenship legislation and policy.
Fair Citizenship for Children Growing Up in Ireland Under Temporary Protection
Introduce a fair pathway to Irish citizenship for children who spend their formative years growing up in Ireland under Temporary Protection, recognising their years of residence and established ties to Irish society.
Why is this important?
Children do not choose where they are born, flee war or the immigration status under which they enter a country.
A child who has spent formative years in Ireland may have deep linguistic, educational, social and cultural connections to the country. Yet their years here do not count towards the ordinary naturalisation residence requirement, leaving their future tied to their parents’ immigration status. They are effectively held hostage to circumstances they never chose and cannot control.
Their childhood in Ireland should count. They deserve a fair pathway to citizenship in the country they have grown up calling home.
What we are asking for
A child who has spent formative years in Ireland may have deep linguistic, educational, social and cultural connections to the country. Yet their years here do not count towards the ordinary naturalisation residence requirement, leaving their future tied to their parents’ immigration status. They are effectively held hostage to circumstances they never chose and cannot control.
Their childhood in Ireland should count. They deserve a fair pathway to citizenship in the country they have grown up calling home.
What we are asking for
We call on the Government of Ireland and the Houses of the Oireachtas to:
- Establish a clear pathway to Irish citizenship for children who arrived in Ireland under Temporary Protection and have spent a substantial part of their childhood living here.
- Recognise childhood residence in Ireland when determining eligibility, including residence undertaken while the child was living under Temporary Protection.
- Introduce proportionate and accessible eligibility criteria that take account of the child’s age on arrival, length of residence, education and established connections to Irish society.
- Consider the best interests of the child when developing citizenship policy for children displaced by war, with appropriate safeguards against unnecessary or prolonged uncertainty.
- Address this issue explicitly in future citizenship legislation and policy reforms, rather than leaving these children without a clear understanding of their route to citizenship.
Our request
We are asking for a fair and transparent pathway to citizenship that recognises the reality of children’s lives.
Children who have spent a substantial part of their childhood in Ireland should have a meaningful opportunity to become Irish citizens, regardless of the fact that they were born elsewhere and arrived as a result of war.
Their connection to Ireland should not be measured solely by their birthplace or their parents’ immigration category. The years they have spent growing up, learning and participating in Irish society should count.
We call on the Irish Government to ensure that children displaced by war who grow up in Ireland are given a fair opportunity to belong to the country they call home.