Megan Crowley case.

Hagar7

A strange case has blown up over the last few months regarding an American woman living in Belfast.
Apparently,she's been denied the right to live there with her husband Richard and 4 children,all requests for to get Charles Flanagan to speak up about the case has fallen on deaf ears.
Countless amounts of people have tried contacting him but he's paid no attention whatsoever.

https://twitter.com/megan_m81meg81/status/1001514029586812928?s=19

farmchoice

now i know nothing about this case, i have never heard of it before but a few things jump out at me.
if she is being refused leave to stay in belfast, it is the government of the UK that is doing that, why i wonder?
she then seems to applying for naturalization in the republic, on what grounds?
she says she doesn't have to answer section 7.4 of that form but she has not indicated how she answered sections 7.1 7.2 or 7.3 which would be relevant to her answer to section 7.4
i smell a rat.

Hagar7

Well if you smell a rat then surely Flanagan would as well,but he isn't even replying to the family in question,why not?
At the very least he should explain the situation to them,don't you think so?

farmchoice

again i have no more information that what you posted but it looks to me like he is replying and in his reply is asking this lady to be so good as fill out section 7.4 of the relevant form

seamus

I don't understand.

So the form gets sent back asking her to tick a box. OK, the question doesn't apply, but red tape is red tape. Just tick the ****ing box and move on with it.

Instead she seems to have leaped into some other dimension talking about cover-ups and whistleblowers and pleading with TDs.

Why did she not just tick the box and send the form back?

Ten of Swords

Ugh, can't believe I clicked on that link

She didn't complete the form as requested, simple as that. She says section 7.4 is not applicable to her but it's a yes/no question ie, not optional. The letter she received directed her to answer it within 28 days or her application won't be processed any further.



I shall look for some better quality outrage porn elsewhere op

Hagar7

Thanks for the replies guys,I'll pm her to ask why she never filled in the box.
Tbh,I thought about that myself but didnt do so.

super_furry

She doesn't tick the box and she's asking the Justice Minister for the Republic to get her nationalised in the UK. Something doesn't add up.

Boom_Bap

...and she is trying to use social media to gain some sympathy or public support.

Hagar7

Boom_Bap wrote: »

...and she is trying to use social media to gain some sympathy or public support.

I've messaged her on Twitter,hopefully I'll get a reply and let you all know whats happening.
Edit post.
The form she sent to them clearly stated she had no need to fill section 7.4 as it was they who made the mistake by saying her husband was dead...hes not.

riffmongous

'Have you, since the death of your spouse..'
'yes or no'

It's very badly phrased, ticking either option implies your spouse has died doesn't it? I can see why she didn't tick it

SnazzyPig

When in Rome do as the Romans do; when in Ireland just tick the f***in' box.

Your Face

Not the Republic.

kneemos

riffmongous wrote: »

'Have you, since the death of your spouse..'
'yes or no'

It's very badly phrased, ticking either option implies your spouse has died doesn't it? I can see why she didn't tick it

Some of the questions on Government forms are indecipherable.

wexie

Hagar7 wrote: »

Well if you smell a rat then surely Flanagan would as well,but he isn't even replying to the family in question,why not?

Without knowing more about the case I'd have to guess because permission to live in Belfast has absolutely nothing to do with him no?

Or am I missing something?

Nevermind, I clearly did, hadn't realised she's now applying to live here.

Hagar7

riffmongous wrote: »

'Have you, since the death of your spouse..'
'yes or no'

It's very badly phrased, ticking either option implies your spouse has died doesn't it? I can see why she didn't tick it

It is,its farcical tbh.

wexie

Just adding some background (other than Twitter)

http://www.thejournal.ie/megan-4040350-May2018/

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/i-dont-want-to-miss-anything-i-dont-want-to-leave-them-mother-fears-her-family-will-be-split-up-over-citizenship-issue-36918144.html

Seems like a pretty odd case indeed, but probably more likely the usual bureaucratic clusterfuck than a grand conspiracy I'd have to say

Megan’s UK visa expired just before Christmas, but she had been informed by the Department of Justice here in a letter in December that she would be granted Irish citizenship, avoiding a family split. The letter informed Megan she would be invited to a citizenship ceremony.

Despite being told that she would be invited to the next available citizenship ceremony, which was held last week, no invite arrived. Irish citizenship is not officially conferred until a Certificate of Naturalisation is given, either at a ceremony or by post.

Ten of Swords

The journal article mentions that she is applying for an Irish passport to circumvent the stricter rules for a UK passport. Doubtful that she will live in the republic.

Queen’s University student Megan says that she has been unable to obtain a British passport due to strict criteria on income which she and her husband do not meet. This led to her pursuing an Irish passport, which would allow her to stay in the North.

Belfast Telegraph suggests that INIS cannot process her application further because she has not got legal permission to remain in the UK, it expired in December 2017 according to the article.

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/belfast-mum-faces-deportation-to-us-queens-student-megan-crowley-in-plea-for-irish-citizenship-36957496.html

Hagar7

Ten of Swords wrote: »

The journal article mentions that she is applying for an Irish passport to circumvent the stricter rules for a UK passport. Doubtful that she will live in the republic.



Belfast Telegraph suggests that INIS cannot process her application further because she has not got legal permission to remain in the UK, it expired in December 2017 according to the article.

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/belfast-mum-faces-deportation-to-us-queens-student-megan-crowley-in-plea-for-irish-citizenship-36957496.html

Just had a reply from Megan.
"I did fill it out when they asked. But it was actually the box below 7.4 not filled out and the guidance notes say not to."
"They were blaming that for the delay. But the delay was actually that they lost my application for 9 weeks.My application has taken 15 months when most take less than 6. The box was just their excuse. It was filled in and sent back the same working day.
"

Hagar7

Apparently, the family never once spoke to the Belfast Telegraph,the whole story was totally wrong.

seamus

I'm more sympathetic tbh reading those, she seems to be caught in an unfortunate loophole.

That said, they sound like serial last-minuters. Her husband is banned from the US for overstaying a visa. And despite living in Belfast ten years, married to an Irishman for 12, she decided to wait until her visa was about to expire before beginning the citizenship process. Why not 3 years earlier?

I'm not sure if Charlie Flanagan can do anything about it.

Hagar7

Seamus,she applied ages ago,it's INIS who've made a complete mess of the situation .

Hector Savage

She's dodgy , deport deport deport ....

GET HER OUTTA HERE!!!!

seamus

Hagar7 wrote: »

Seamus,she applied ages ago,it's INIS who've made a complete mess of the situation .

I don't really agree. There was a delay in processing it. It happens. By her own account she had a temporary visa up to December 2017 and she began the citizenship process around February/March 2017.

I know nothing about the process, but if it were me I'd be concerned that I'm leaving it tight. Civil services are slow and annoying, and citizenship is complicated. I definitely wouldn't be sticking in an application less than a year before I needed it.

Residency permits can take 18 months to issue - why didn't she apply for one of them in 2016 when she knew the other one was going to expire at the end of 2017?

No, it's not entirely her fault, but it's a cautionary tale of not leaving things too late.

ohnonotgmail

seamus wrote: »

I'm more sympathetic tbh reading those, she seems to be caught in an unfortunate loophole.

That said, they sound like serial last-minuters. Her husband is banned from the US for overstaying a visa. And despite living in Belfast ten years, married to an Irishman for 12, she decided to wait until her visa was about to expire before beginning the citizenship process. Why not 3 years earlier?

I'm not sure if Charlie Flanagan can do anything about it.

Because she only applied for an Irish passport because she doesnt qualify for a british one.

Hagar7

Hector Savage wrote: »

She's dodgy , deport deport deport ....

GET HER OUTTA HERE!!!!

Thank you for your contribution Mr Trump,have a nice day.

Hagar7

seamus wrote: »

I don't really agree. There was a delay in processing it. It happens. By her own account she had a temporary visa up to December 2017 and she began the citizenship process around February/March 2017.

I know nothing about the process, but if it were me I'd be concerned that I'm leaving it tight. Civil services are slow and annoying, and citizenship is complicated. I definitely wouldn't be sticking in an application less than a year before I needed it.

Residency permits can take 18 months to issue - why didn't she apply for one of them in 2016 when she knew the other one was going to expire at the end of 2017?

No, it's not entirely her fault, but it's a cautionary tale of not leaving things too late.

We all know what it’s like though,it can be a nightmare at times,jeez I’ve just filled in an insurance form for Rome next month and it’s unbelievable what they ask you nowadays.