Up to 500 Irish children may be forced to leave the State if their immigrant parents are deported, a leading children's agency claimed today.
The Children's Rights Alliance (CRA) urged the Government to assess the impact on children born in Ireland when making decisions about whether to grant their parents residency in the country.
CRA chief executive Jillian Van Turnhout made the call at the release of the All Our Childrenreport on the rights of Irish children whose migrant parents and relatives have been refused leave to remain in Ireland.
The report sets out a model of child-impact assessment for use in decisions concerning Irish children whose parents are requesting leave to remain in the State.
"Currently, decisions are being made on an arbitrary, ad hoc basis, and behind closed doors; the system we are proposing allows for greater transparency," Ms Van Turnhout said.
"Child impact assessment is a fair, objective and organised way to make decisions about the fate of Irish children whose migrant parents have applied for leave to remain in Ireland.
"These children could face deportation from the State with their parents or they could be separated from a parent due to one parent's application being refused. They may even find themselves left in the care of the State," she said.
Ms Van Turnhout said child-impact assessments would establish how each child might be affected by deportation of a parent, examine the relative safety of their destination country and establish what level of support and Irish consular services was available in that country.
Geoffrey Shannon, a family law expert and the Irish expert on the Commission on European Family Law, said the current manner of deciding residency cases failed to adhere to the core values of the Irish constitution.
"Both the Irish Constitution and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child highlight the preservation of family life and the right of the Irish child to enjoy the company of their parents and other family members," he added.
The report was commissioned by the CADIC Coalition (formerly known as the Coalition Against the Deportation of Irish Children), which consists of human rights organisations, legal aid groups, children's rights organisations, faith-based migrant support groups and other migrant support organisations.
PA