Ireland and the UK should stop their row on immigration and "try to solve problems together," a former Conservative MP has said.
On The Hard Shoulder today, Edwina Currie said she hopes something “really positive” can come from conversations between the two jurisdictions on migrants crossing the Northern Ireland border.
Taoiseach Simon Harris appealed for calm on the issue earlier - as legislation allowing the return of asylum seekers to the UK was brought before Cabinet today.
Ms Currie said the two countries “should not be blaming each other” on immigration issues.
“Both of our countries are experiencing a huge increase in immigration,” she said.
“Some of it is because of Ukraine, but some of it is being driven by criminal gangs who are trading on people’s ambition and misery.”
Other powers
The former MP believes other powers are also at play.
“In the back of my mind is a suspicion that much of what is happening is driven by people who don’t like us very much and by us, I mean Europe and democracies of the free world,” she said.
“They are trying to disrupt our countries by sending waves of unfortunate people from many countries, often from Africa, into countries where they start to cause lots of problems.
“Not least housing, schooling, and all that kind of thing – they’re trying to disrupt our countries in an election year.
“I think it could be the Russians; they have contacts and they are steering it in a number of countries.”
The Taoiseach is appealing for calm and for people to take a 'deep breath' amid tensions with the UK over immigrants.
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) April 30, 2024
Ms Currie would like to see a return of the Dublin Regulation, which would mean asylum seekers can be sent back to the first ‘safe country’ they travelled to.
“Let’s see if we can get Ireland, the UK, London, and Dublin working together and tell the rest of the EU ‘wise up,’” she said.
“Let’s put barriers in the way of this trade and that way we can make sure the trade is reduced to a mere trickle - a minimum.
“Talk to France, talk to Brussels, lay down the law as far as they’re concerned; we should be able to get back to the Dublin agreement, under which migrants were sent back if they came through a safe country.”
Immigration row
Also on The Hard Shoulder today, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said he doesn’t think what’s been happening between Ireland and the UK constitutes a row.
“I think it’s a normal exchange that can happen between two countries on a topic that’s sensitive and important," he said.
“All we’re looking to do is to be able to reinstate a framework that was in place.
“I think we’ll be able to work in good faith with the British government to implement it.”
He also said the two countries have “far much more in common than we differ on”.
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Main image: Simon Harris arrives at the City North Hotel, Co Meath, 22-03-2024. Image: PA Images / Alamy
