About 700 asylum-seekers and other immigrants with Irish children are waiting for the Department of Justice to rule whether they are entitled to stay in the State, according to the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice.
Many have been waiting since 1997, when the Department stopped issuing residency permits to immigrant parents of Irish-born children. The centre says about half have withdrawn their asylum applications, having been encouraged to apply instead for residency. A spokesman called on the Minister for Justice to clarify the Department's position on the matter.