Eight delegates to the international conference on "Culture and Identity: Social Work in a Changing Europe" in UCD were refused visas from the Department of Justice to attend the conference. Six were from Ghana and two from Pakistan.
The Irish Association of Social Workers was "concerned and embarrassed" by this decision, especially as conference issues included racism, ethnicity and refugees, and was taking place in the European Year Against Racism.
Ms Michelle Munnelly, of the IASW, helped delegates with visas and accreditation. She said the two Pakistani delegates had obtained visas for a conference on child abuse last year, but neither could attend, as one was involved in a traffic accident, and the infant son of the other died.
But their visa applications were turned down without explanation. They appealed the decision but the appeal was refused.
The six Ghanaian social workers had applied for visas through the Irish consulate in Ghana, which forwarded them to the Department of Foreign Affairs, which in turn sent them to the Department of Justice. It refused the applications.
Again, the decision was appealed but the appeals were refused.
Ms Munnelly said she had now difficulty in getting visas for a Romanian delegate, a Croatian and a Filipino.
The IASW is also embarrassed that the conference is taking place at a time when the Government has "failed in its responsibilities to asylum seekers".
"So far the Government's main response . . . has been to introduce an Alien's Exclusion Order. In the light of our history, it is particularly ironic that this draconian measure placed Ireland at the forefront of the `Fortress Europe' project", said the IASW in a statement.
It called on the Government to rescind the Aliens' Exclusion Order, implement the Refugee Act without further delay and develop appropriate support services for refugees and other ethnic minorities.