Talks of increased deportations are a “distraction” from the need to ensure there is a fair and accessible international protection system in place.

That’s according to the CEO of migrants’ rights organisation Doras John Lannon.

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan has said that Ireland is going to see more deportation orders issued this year, signalling a tougher approach to immigration.

On Newstalk Breakfast, Mr Lannon said it is important remember that the majority of people coming to Ireland from outside Europe or the UK do so to work or study.

“I think [the Minister’s] focus on deportations is a distraction from the need to ensure that there’s a fair and an accessible international protection system in place,” he said.

“Despite what the Minister says, we don’t have a relaxed and a casual attitude to our borders or to migration.

“We’ve actually got an international protection system that’s quite rigorous and can often be quite difficult for people to present and to pass through that.”

People stand by rows of tents, near the International Protection Office (IPO) in Dublin on April 30, 2024. (Photo by PAUL FAITH/AFP via Getty Images)

Mr Lannon rejected that a lack of deportations would be a draw for illegal immigrants to come to Ireland.

“This is a pattern that we’re seeing right across the European Union, indeed; implying that there is a link between migration and security,” he said.

“[It] suggests that migrants are a threat... The language that’s being used could be misleading.”

'There is a lot of work to be done'

According to Mr Lannon, national security should not be conflated with the issues of migration.

“We should of course ensure that we have national security - and this is a critical aspect of what the Minister for Justice is responsible for,” he said.

“But this should not be conflated with the issues of migration.

“There is a lot of work that to be done in that migrants have contributed very positively to Ireland already, we need to ensure that remains the case."

Mr Lannon said that we need to understand that public services, hospitals and the hospitality sector are all kept going “by having an adequate number of migrants here”.

Main image: A deportation flight from Frankfurt. Image: Imago / Alamy Stock Photo