'This has been torture' - Government criticised over suspension of visas for families of workers

The Immigrant Council of Ireland said travel for family reunification purposes should be deemed essential and called on the Government to change its policy on the issue. https://www.rte.ie/news/2021/0513/122... It comes as one young mother said being kept apart from her husband and children was "torture". The council said it has been dealing with hundreds of cases of immigrant workers in Ireland whose families have not been able to join them here since the state suspended the issuing of visas for non-essential travel in January. Pamela Chiwara is a lab scientist in a Dublin hospital. The 30-year-old came from Zimbabwe to Ireland in January 2020 on a critical skills work permit. Her two young children, aged 8 and 9, and her husband were due to follow a few months later but the pandemic delayed those plans. Recently they received permission to join her here but the Government's decision in January of this year to suspend issuing visas for non-essential travel has left the family in limbo. Pamela said that, as a scientist who has been working in the health services, she understands the need for travel restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 variants here. But she has saved the money for her children and husband to enter Mandatory Hotel Quarantine on their arrival and she thinks family reunification should be deemed essential travel.