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Emigrants returning home from abroad are facing significant barriers to housing and social welfare, a government committee has heard.<\/p>\nEmigrants returning home from abroad are facing significant barriers to housing and social welfare, a government committee has heard.<\/p>\n
Representatives from Safe Home, Cross Care and The Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas say lack of knowledge, delays in administration and the current housing problems are plunging some returning emigrants into crisis situations.<\/p>\n
The committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade heard that many people are blocked from returning home because those with children or a partner from non-European Economic Area (EEA) countries are not automatically given a visa, and when applying for the visa from Ireland, the partner is not eligible to work.<\/p>\n
Richard King, from Crosscare, said: \u201cThe reason a majority of people return is to be closer to family, they left Ireland after college and now want to come back to raise their family here, but this process acts as a deterrent and is difficult.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne Irish citizen I dealt with in New Zealand is pregnant and cannot return home because they cannot survive if she and her partner cannot work for six months.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was noted that EU citizens who have a non-EEA partner do not face the same visa requirements, meaning returning Irish citizens have a \u201clesser\u201d status than current EU citizens.<\/p>\n
Another growing trend for returning emigrants being refused social welfare is because of lack of access to information on the Habitual Resident Condition.<\/p>\n
The Habitual Residence Condition (HRC) is a situation that you must satisfy in order to be eligible for most means tested social welfare payments in Ireland.<\/p>\n
Danielle McLaughlin from Cross Care said the people facing these issues are some of the most vulnerable returning home.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn majority of these cases individuals face vulnerable situations with no income or family support,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year, we dealt with 280 queries and worked directly on 18 cases on HRC, and every case successfully appealed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a five to nine month long delay and those surveyed said the process was intimidating, demeaning, and made them feel guilty.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added those dealing with the process expressed misconception, lack of information and said it was actively deterring emigrants returning home.<\/p>\n
Karen McHugh, from Safe Home Ireland, referred to one case of an Irish citizen returning to care for an elderly uncle who was turned down for carers allowance and not considered a \u201chabitual resident\u201d.<\/p>\n
The man, who was saving the state over \u20ac52,000 a year by caring for his family member, won his appeal five months later, however was told he would not have money for another month, which is likely to be January 2019.<\/p>\n
The committee chair, Fianna Fail\u2019s Brendan Smith, said there was a \u201ctotally unacceptable\u201d delay in carer allowances applications and said every committee member had faced similar issues with their own constituents.<\/p>\n
The groups asked that the 30 recommendations produced in the Indecon Economic Report on Addressing Challenges Faced by Returning Irish Emigrants be acted upon, as since the report was published no time frame has been set or seen any productive action taken.<\/p>\n
They also asked that provisions be made in the current housing allocation system for returning emigrants, especially for returning elderly people who want to spend their remaining life in Ireland.<\/p>\n