The Embassy of Ireland in Canberra, as well as the Consulate General in Sydney, work very closely with the Irish community in Australia to ensure that Irish citizens have access to suitable practical and consular support.
Through the Emigrant Support Programme the government provides funding to four groups in Australia that offer support and advice to Irish citizens regarding visa and other immigration issues. These are: the Irish Support Agency (Sydney), the Irish Australian Support Resources Bureau (Melbourne), the Claddagh Association of Western Australia (Perth) and the Irish Australian Support Association of Queensland (Brisbane).
Many thousands of Irish people have lived and worked in Australia in recent years. The vast majority of these build happy and successful lives there and help to foster the strong people-to-people ties between our two nations.
I am aware of recent media reports that a number of Irish citizens have been expelled from Australia since 2016 due to visa issues. Visas for Australia are a matter for the Australian authorities, and as such I have not contacted my counterpart in this regard. It is the responsibility of all Irish citizens in Australia to comply fully with the legal requirements necessary to obtain and retain a visa.
Officials at my Department, including at the Embassy of Ireland in Canberra, the Consulate-General of Ireland in Sydney and the Honorary Consulate in Perth will continue to monitor the situation and to offer appropriate support to Irish citizens.
