The Irish Refugee Council (IRC), Nasc and Oxfam Ireland, worked with a group of dedicated Senators to produce a Bill aimed at reducing the restrictions on refugees wishing to reunite with family members. The Bill would widen the definition of ‘family member’ to include dependent family members and reduce the time limit that exists within which an application for family reunification must be made.
As part of the campaign, the IRC sought technical legal assistance with the drafting of the Bill through the PILA Pro Bono Referral Scheme. Through its extensive network of legal practitioners, PILA was able to source an expert barrister Patricia Brazil BL who undertook the matter on a pro bono basis. Commenting on the process Ms Brazil said: "I was delighted to assist the Irish Refugee Council with the preparation of this draft legislation seeking to secure the important right to family reunification for refugees which was drastically restricted by the International Protection Act 2015. The IRC and its partner NGOs provide invaluable support to refugees and their families, and the PILA referral process offered a great opportunity for me to support their efforts through my involvement in drafting this legislative amendment."
Commenting on the role of the PILA Pro Bono Referral Scheme Nick Henderson CEO shared how PILA’s Scheme was invaluable to this piece of advocacy: "We were working to a very tight timescale, less than a week and PILA were able to organise the referral within a day. The draft Bill, while relatively short, also involved very particular changes to the International Protection Act 2015 that required the input of an expert lawyer with knowledge of family reunification. Patricia Brazil BL gave us ongoing advice and assistance, including drafting. This gave reassurance to us, as a group of NGOs, and to the Senators supporting the Bill.”
The Bill passed second stage at the Seanad on 20 July 2017 and will return to the Seanad for Committee stage in autumn.
Since 2009, PILA has operated a Pro Bono Referral Scheme that connects social justice organisations with free legal expertise. The breadth and depth of referrals can vary greatly, but increasingly PILA has received similar requests from organisations seeking to bring forward private member Bills and influence the legislative landscape in Ireland.
If you are working in a social justice organisation and are interested in learning more about how your organisation can access legal support via PILA please contact Legal Officer Eithne Lynch at eithne.lynch@flac.ie.