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Immigration Policy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 June 2014

Tuesday, 24 June 2014

Questions (447, 464)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

447. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason wives and families of Saudi students on English language programmes and third level courses are allowed to accompany their husbands or fathers while they study here, but wives and families of Libyan students are allowed to accompany their husband or father only if one parent is studying for a PhD, and not for undergraduate or English language programmes; if her attention has been drawn to the negative effect that this has in marketing Ireland as a destination of choice for English language studies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26799/14]

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Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

464. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason wives and families of Saudi students on English language programmes and third level courses are allowed to accompany their husbands or father while they study here, but wives and families of Libyan students are allowed to accompany their husband or father only if one parent is studying for a PhD, and not for undergraduate or English language programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26802/14]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 447 and 464 together.

Under the current immigration rules non-EEA students do not generally have any rights to family reunification, subject to certain limited exemptions. Exemptions from this general policy are only allowable where a non-EEA student is pursuing a course of study at PhD level and where the student continues to make academic progress with a view to completing their Doctoral studies within four years. A further exemption exists where the Non-EEA student is a participant in an academic programme agreed between the Irish State and another state whereby the student and dependants are sufficiently well funded in respect of all expenses in Ireland, or where any such agreement provides an exemption.

In that context the Deputy may wish to note that students from Saudi Arabia, in the vast majority of cases, are resident and funded in Ireland for the purposes of study under the terms of the King Abdullah Scholarship Programme and another similar programme which allows Saudi students to avail of the Family Reunification conditions set out above.

With regard to Libyan students, no equivalent scholarship programme agreed between Ireland and Libya is currently in place. In the event of such a programme being discussed and agreed between the relevant national authorities, there is no reason in principle why equivalent Family Reunification conditions could not be put in place. In the meantime, the general rules regarding family reunification apply. Libyan students pursuing courses at PhD level can avail of family reunification.

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