The Department of Justice is responsible for the family reunification of Afghan refugees, Tánaiste Simon Harris has confirmed.
Responding to a parliamentary question from Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney this week, the Tánaiste said that his department was not handling such cases, and that the matter fell under the remit of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.
“The issues of resettlement of, and family reunification for, Afghan refugees relocated to Ireland is the responsibility of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration which administers the Irish Refugee Protection Programme,” he said.
He was responding to a query from Gibney about “the steps that have been taken to support family reunification in Ireland for Afghani refugees.”
In his answer, Harris also addressed Ireland’s wider humanitarian stance toward Afghanistan following the return of Taliban rule, stating that the Government remained “deeply concerned” by the situation.
“Ireland remains deeply concerned at the continuing humanitarian crisis both inside Afghanistan and its regional dynamic, including the situation of returnee refugees,” he said.
“We remain steadfast in our support for the Afghan people’s human rights, especially for women, girls and those in vulnerable situations. This includes strongly condemning the brutal human rights abuses perpetrated by the Taliban against Afghan citizens, and the ongoing humanitarian crises gripping the country.”
He said the Government continued to coordinate with European and international partners, and that Ireland would “continue to advocate for the Afghan people across EU and UN fora.”
“We continue to advocate for the Afghan people across EU and UN fora, including at HRC and the UNGA,” he said.
He added that Ireland had provided €4 million in humanitarian assistance this year to “support organisations, including UNHCR, in response to the specific needs of Afghan women and girls.”