Submission on the General Scheme of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (2026)
Doras' Submission to the Justice Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration on the General Scheme of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2026
Doras welcomes the opportunity to comment on the General Scheme of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2026.
Based on our direct experience working with migrants from a wide range of backgrounds, we believe the proposed Bill should not progress to become law, as it is fundamentally unfair, unnecessary, and serves no useful purpose.
- It would introduce some of the most restrictive forms of legal requirements on applicants for citizenship in Europe, including longer residence requirements, status-based restrictions, language and integration tests, and stringent employment and welfare restrictions.
- Migrants are already trapped in a cycle of uncertainty, with annual renewals of their residence status. With the lengthy administrative delays in processing both renewal applications and applications for citizenship, migrants are exposed to job losses and face longer uncertainty about their futures and their children’s futures. This undermines the work being done at national and at local level to support integration.
