Rights conferred on Convention refugees, Programme refugees and people given leave to remain in Ireland

Information

Convention refugees

Convention refugees in Ireland have:

• The right to seek and enter employment in the Irish State;
• The right to carry on any business, trade or profession in the Irish State;
• The right to access education and training in the like manner and to the like extent in all respects as an Irish citizen;
• The right to receive the same medical care and services and the same social welfare benefits, including housing, as an Irish citizen;
• The right to reside in the Irish State;
• The same rights of travel in, or to or from the Irish State as those to which Irish citizens are entitled [note: this is on the basis that the Minister for Justice issues a travel document];
• The same freedom to practice their religion and the same freedom as regards religious education of their children as an Irish citizen;
• The right to the same access to the courts as an Irish citizen;
• The same right to form and be a member of associations and trade unions as an Irish citizen;
• The right to acquire, hold, dispose or otherwise deal with real or personal property or an interest in such property in the same way and subject to the same obligations and limitations as an Irish citizen.
• The right to apply to the Minister for Justice for permission for a member of their family to enter and reside in the Irish State.

Programme refugees

A Programme refugee will, for the period he/she is entitled to remain in the Irish state, have the same entitlement to the rights and privileges given to Convention refugees, under Section 3 of the Refugee Act 1996, as amended.

People given leave to remain in Ireland

While it is not set out in legislation, people given leave to remain in the State are normally conferred with many of the same rights and privileges as those conferred on Convention refugees, under section 3 of the Refugee Act, 1996, as amended. They do not have the right to family reunification but anyone who is entitled to reside and remain in the State may apply to the Minister to permit family members to join them. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform can grant or refuse permission on a discretionary basis.