In a move intended to signal a tougher implementation of immigration and residency rules, the Government says it will charter aircraft to deport people whose claim for asylum has been rejected, expand the list of “safe countries” and accelerate the process of adjudicating on some asylum claims.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee also said she would prepare to join the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum to co-operate with other member states on managing migration, though a final decision has not yet been made.
The moves come as sharply increased numbers of asylum seekers arriving in Ireland, along with the presence of 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, put the State under extreme pressure especially when it comes to providing accommodation.
With local and European elections in June, and public concern on the issue increasing, there is a growing political clamour from the Government benches for a tougher line on immigration issues.
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Ms McEntee outlined plans to clamp down on those who already have refugee status in another European state. They are to be entered into an inadmissibility procedure, which will also be subject to fast processing. The measures are to come into effect from Wednesday.
Together these measures would lead to the potential removal of up to 5,000 people from the international protection, or asylum, system here, Ms McEntee said.
Other planned measures include adding Algeria and Botswana to the official list of “safe countries” which will allow faster processing of immigration claims.
“We have seen an increase in people coming from those countries and the vast majority are coming for economic reasons,” she said. “It’s important to stress that this does not mean people coming from any of the 10 safe countries cannot seek international protection. They can apply, but they will be processed in a much quicker way.”
But the Government was also keen to stress the benefits of migration to Ireland. “Migration has driven economic growth in Ireland and is essential to filling labour shortages in high-skilled and medium-skilled jobs,” the Government spokesman told reporters at the weekly post-Cabinet briefing.
The spokesman said the Government was trying to “remove economic migration from the asylum process”.
Ms McEntee told Ministers she would work closely with them on a migration policy which deals with labour market needs and long-term demographic and social challenges. This would involve seeking the skills and labour that Ireland needs to continue to thrive, officials said.
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