Migrant health workers have staged a protest outside Leinster House, calling for family reunification as they provide care to the sick and elderly in private nursing homes in Ireland.
Around 1,000 non-EU workers – mainly nurses from India and the Philippines working in roles below their qualifications – were recruited to work as healthcare assistants (HCAs) in Ireland under a general work permit scheme in June 2021.
These workers, the majority of whom are in the private sector, receive €27,000 per year, according to Migrant Nurses Ireland.
The minimum salary needed to apply for a visa for a spouse is €30,000, and additionally to bring one child is €33,000.
The salary threshold increases with further children.
Migrant Nurses Ireland said this means healthcare assistants are being separated from their spouses and children, which is “very detrimental to physical and mental health”.
The group is urging the employment minister to grant family status for this cohort, making them eligible for a critical skill permit which would automatically allow them bring their families over, rather than their current general employment permit.
It is also demanding pay parity with HSE workers which would bring them above the visa threshold.
It said another option, which is “much less preferable”, is to decrease the income threshold for bringing family to their current wage of €27,000.
The group also wants spouses to be able to work in Ireland.
Sheji Joseph, a healthcare assistant, said workers moved to Ireland anticipating they would be after a number of months.
“We can’t bring our family here. We are heartbroken and very sad.”
Activist and former TD Ruth Coppinger said she helped organise the protest because she feels the workers are being “badly treated and exploited” by the Government.
“These workers are mainly nurses, working way below their qualification, way below their pay grade, and they came to work as healthcare assistants in our private nursing homes because we couldn’t get workers to do that.
“They’re doing essential work looking after our elderly and infirm but yet they’re not allowed bring their spouse or children over here, most of whom are healthcare workers as well who could work towards mitigating the labour shortage in health.”
