Refugee groups have welcomed the Government's decision to review the cases of all parents of Irish citizen children facing deportation and called for wholesale reform of the asylum system.
At a protest outside Leinster House today the organisation Residents Against Racism said it was hopeful of a new beginning following the decision of Minister for Justice Alan Shatter to review all cases involved in Irish citizen children.
"We hope to see the human rights of asylum seekers recognised in Ireland, something which didn't happened under the previous Government," said spokeswoman Rosanna Flynn.
"Over the last few years we've seen families torn apart and Irish citizen children removed from the country. There are thousands of asylum seekers waiting in limbo for years for decisions," she said.
One Nigerian woman at the protest, whose son has a disability, said she has been living in direct provision hostels for five years waiting for a decision on her case.
"I'm tired with it all now. My son needs movement. He needs to get out of direct provision. There are so many limitations living like that," said the women, who gave her first name as Oluyemisi.
Another asylum seeker, who wouldn't give his name, said he is father to two Irish citizen children and has lived in Ireland since 2002. He has lived under a threat of deportation for more than a year and is hopeful the review announced by Mr Shatter will allow him to get on with his life.
"Living in fear is the worst experience. Never knowing if they are coming to deport you," he said.
The Irish Refugee Council welcomed the Government's review of all Irish citizen children cases.
Sue Conlan, chief executive of the council, said Mr Shatter's decision to move ahead with the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill was also a good decision.
"The IRC welcomes the Minister Shatter's announcement that he will return to the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill. Reform of this area is long overdue and meanwhile families and individuals are suffering in a broken, inefficient and costly system," said Ms Conlan.
She said a single protection procedure to decide protection claims at the same time and an effective independent appeals mechanism were essential to end the high financial and human cost of the asylum system in Ireland.
The Bill was first published in 2006 by the last Government but was never passed into law.
The rights of the non-Irish parents of Irish citizen children to live and work in Ireland are to be examined urgently by the Department of Justice following the ruling of the European Court of Justice in the case of a Colombian family by the name of Zambrano living in Belgium.
In a major shift in Government policy following the recent ruling, Mr Shatter has asked for an examination of all cases before the courts where such parents are fighting deportation, along with a review of cases where deportation is being considered to see if the ECJ ruling might apply.
There are about 120 such cases at present before the courts.