ROMANIAN AND BULGARIAN NATIONALS – RIGHT TO RESIDE AND ACCESS TO SOCIAL BENEFITS

Romanian Bulgarian nationals who are the parents of Irish citizen children now have access to the Labour Market within Ireland on the same basis as other EU nationals. See “Employment Permit Information for Romanian Naiontals” on the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation website;

Many of the persons affected by the Minister’s change in policy are in situations where they have been refused access to social benefits, including Jobs Seekers Allowance, Child Benefit payments and Supplementary Welfare Allowance.  Having been refused these payments, they are now without any means of income whatsoever. They have been refused access to social benefits usually on the basis of the Habitual Residence Condition, or for the reason that they are not eligible to take up employment in the State. Many have doubted the legitimacy of refusals on the basis of the Habitual Residence Condition, given that the persons have often resided in the State since 2007, have children in school, and have clearly made Ireland their “centre of interest”.

Until now, these Romanian and Bulgarian nationals’ status in the State has been somewhat unclear. They were not legally resident within the ambit of Directive 2004/38, nor did the State recognize an alternative right to reside under the Treaty provisions. However, there was no legal means under EU law which permitted the State to lawfully require their removal from the State. Many such persons have fallen into destitution, surviving with the assistance of charities and voluntary organizations.

The Minster’s change in policy this week to permit Romanian and Bulgarian nationals who are the parents of Irish citizen children access the Labour Market now changes their status in the State, and also their entitlements to access social benefits. Such persons are now eligible to take up employment, and can commence a legitimate search for employment. Those Romanian and Bulgarian nationals who are already in employment, will be immediately regarded as workers within the meaning of EU law and Directive 2004/38. Their right to reside will be also immediately legitimised. They will acquire the benefits of worker status under EU law, for example, they will have access to the State welfare system, including child benefit payments.  Should they become involuntarily unemployed and register as a job seeker, they will retain their worker status (and thus their right to reside) either indefinitely if they had worked for over one year, or for at least a period of six months if they had worked for under one year.

For those Romanians and Bulgarian nationals, who are the parents of Irish citizen children, and who are not currently in employment, they can now commence a legitimate search for employment, and therefore must be regarded as economically active as Job Seekers under EU Law. Pursuant to Regulation 1612/68, all EU citizens have the right to move within the territory of the EU to seek employment for at least a six month period. As legitimate Job Seekers, they have a lawful right to reside. They can therefore apply to all benefits including Child Benefit and Jobseekers Allowance and Supplementary Welfare Allowance. If they becomes employed (either part time or full time), self employed, a student or financially self sufficient (with health insurance), they then trigger their “worker status”,  and the benefits as described above.

The question now to be determined is when did the Romanian/Bulgarian parents of Irish citizen children commence lawful status in the State? Was it on the 28^th February 2012, when the government implemented this change in policy? Or was it previous to this, when the Zambrano judgment was delivered? When the Treaty of the Functioning of the EU was implemented? The answer to these questions could have a signigicant conssequences for those who may have been wrongly refused accesss to social benefits. Most likely, these are questions to be determined by the Court of Justice.

DETERMINATION OF ZAMBRANO CASES TO DATE

Pamela Duncan in the Irish Times reported last week that more than 850 non-EU parents of Irish-citizen children have been granted residency in Ireland since the ECJ issued its ruling in the Zambrano decision which created rights of residency for parents of Member State citizen children. Apparently, six parents of Irish citizen children who were previously deported have been granted permission to re-enter the State. 

1000 cases have been processed to date by the Minister who said that the decisions were taken “in the best interests of the welfare of eligible minor Irish citizen children”.

The Irish Times reports that 700 cases remain outstanding; ‘In approximately half of those cases the department has requested further documentation or clarification from the applicants before their cases can be progressed. This number does not include other non-EU parents of Irish-born children who had an existing right of residency, for example where people were lawfully resident on a worker, spouse or student visa.’ 

We have a number of outstanding applications as well as a number of applications which we have requested a review following a negative decision. One such decision was reached upon the Minister’s determination that the father of an Irish citizen child who resides with his child in the State, was not seen to have shown evidence of a ‘relationship of dependency’ between both he and his child. Other applications are outstanding whereby the applicant parents reside outside of the State with their Irish citizen child(ren). We submit that a refusal of such applications is in turn a refusal to permit entry to the State by an Irish citizen. We are however pleased that one application concerning the father of an Irish citizen child residing outside of the State was granted after a nine month delay in determining the visa application. 

Various complications arise in the submission and in the determination of Zambrano applications. It seems to us that the very reliance on the word ‘Zambrano’ when applying for residency/Stamp 4 on behalf of a client triggers a delay on their application for residency where that application might also be based on other factors for example a relationship with an Irish citizen. We have also encountered situations whereby applications to renew a permission granted under leave to remain are delayed whenever submissions are made in respect of an Irish citizen child. Therefore, otherwise uncomplicated, straightforward applications for residency which would normally be considered rather promptly are faced with delays and requests for further and specific documentation. We note that in one of our cases, an applicant had been granted a visa to join his Irish partner in the State without any difficulty. He is also the father of his partner’s child, an Irish citizen. As a result, he was permitted to register under Stamp 4 when reporting to the GNIB, which in our experience has been standard practice, but was asked to make an application to the Minister for residency based on his parentage of an Irish citizen child. This application is still pending, the applicant has not been permitted to work, even for a temporary period and has been forced to return to his home country much to the dismay of his Irish partner and mother of his child. 

In another situation, two applicants from the same country, with the same background and immigration history had both submitted applications for leave to remain on the very same date, 3years ago. We were notified by the Repatriation Unit that both applications were due to be considered. One of the applicants had in the meantime become father to an Irish citizen child. His application for leave to remain was put on hold. His friend’s application was determined and was successful. 

We will keep you informed as matters develop and welcome your thoughts and comments on these issues. 

Sarah McCoy

sarah@brophysolicitors.ie

01.02.12