Publications

Submission to the Public Bill Committee of the Immigration and Social Security Coordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill

The Commission’s submission to the Public Bill Committee of the Immigration and Social Security Coordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill.

Date produced June 2020.

Below is a summary of the recommendations.

You can also download the full document through the links provided.

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) recommends:

• 1.12 that the UK and Ireland provide clarity and certainty as to the rights of citizens, by agreeing a comprehensive bilateral treaty encompassing reciprocal free movement rights, employment rights, alongside rights to education, health, justice and security and that such a treaty be incorporated in domestic legislation.
• 1.13 The NIHRC recommends that the current EU-derived rights of families living in NI to access tax credits and universal credit for childcare provided in the Republic of Ireland is protected through an amendment to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit regulations.
• 1.14 The NIHRC recommends that the UK government amend the laws relating to citizenship and immigration to reflect the birthright commitment in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement 1998 to identify and be accepted as Irish or British or both without any loss of rights or entitlements.
• 1.15 The NIHRC recommends that NI born citizens who identify as Irish, be protected from deportation in any circumstances to meet the requirements of the 1998 Agreement.