Ireland could find itself “left alone as a country” to deal with the challenges of rising migration if we do not opt-in to the new EU asylum and migration pact, the Justice Minister has warned.
Cabinet is today considering whether to opt-in to the pact, which would oblige the State to carry out stricter screening checks and make asylum decisions faster.
Ministers are also considering a separate plan aimed at reducing Ireland’s reliance on hotels for asylum seeker accommodation.
The plan would ensure a town's 'last hotel' could no longer be used to house asylum seekers.
EU Pact
Speaking on her way into Cabinet this morning, Minister McEntee outlined what opting-in to the new EU pact would mean for Ireland.
“It will mean quicker and more aligned processing times, all of which will be mandatory,” she said.
“It will mean more enhanced security checks so we can identify, where possible, at an earlier stage, someone who might pose a risk.
“It will also mean greater returns policies. So in particular for Ireland, where secondary movement is a problem this will be particularly important.
“So it's really important that we opt-in to this at the earliest stage possible, that we're ready when this is fully implemented in two years’ time, but in particular that we're not left alone as a country to deal with this challenge.”
“It's really important we opt-in to this at the earliest stage possible.”
Ireland must opt-in to the EU’s new asylum and migration pact to ensure “we're not left alone as a country to deal with this challenge” – Helen McEntee.
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) March 27, 2024
Minister McEntee has come under fire from opposition parties and independent TDs who have warned that the Government cannot opt-in to the scheme without holding a full immigration debate in the Dáil.
She said the legislation will go before the Dáil, the Seanad and the Justice Committee before it is passed.
“But let's be clear here,” she said. “If we don’t opt in, then we’re not part of an EU wide system.
“We’re not part of a mandatory system, which means that people can be processed and if they receive a negative decision, returned home more quickly.”
Asylum
She said the most important thing for Ireland is that without opting-in, we will not be able to send people back to other EU countries if they travel to Ireland from the continent
“The vast majority of people who come here, they come on secondary movements,” she said. “They've been in another country.
“If we’re not part of this, then there will be no agreement with any other Member States to return people where they already have asylum in another country. “
Minister McEntee said the pact was also about showing solidarity with other EU countries.
“It's not just about taking more people,” she said.
“If other countries are struggling, it may also be about providing financial support or other types of resources and it's an EU-wide effort.
“We're all grappling with the challenges here together, we should all be responding together as an EU-wide response.”
The minister said the pact would oblige Ireland to process asylum applications much faster – especially when people arrive without valid documentation.
It will also see the list of ‘safe’ countries expanded and new child trafficking protection introduced.
