The human right to seek asylum “must be upheld” in Ireland as the Government moves to expand the list of ‘safe’ countries, MASI has warned.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee will today sign orders to add two more countries to the list, which already includes Georgia, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and South Africa.
A safe country is one where the Government believes there is generally no persecution, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or threat of violence through armed conflict.
Citizens of these countries are still entitled to apply for asylum in Ireland; however, they must be able to prove that their country is not safe for them in terms of their own personal circumstances.
In recent years, the Government has sped up checks an applicants from safe countries – and decisions are now made on their cases within a maximum of 90 days.
Botswana and Algeria are the latest countries to be added to the list in what is being seen by some as a bid to crack down on the numbers arriving here seeking International Protection.
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI) spokesman Lucky Khambule said the move will mean fewer applicants will now arrive in Ireland.
“The Minister changed rules to make it a little bit harder for people coming from safe countries,” he said.
“It means people coming from there would be dealt with within six months and refused.
“This has resulted in the number of newcomers reducing, especially from Georgia and Albania.
“I think the Minister is now looking to make sure that from these countries, people will be dealt with soon enough and possibly send them back home.”
Speedy applications
Mr Khambule said it is positive for applications to be dealt with swiftly, but it must be done lawfully.
“The process of asylum as a law must be upheld, regardless of where the person comes from,” he said.
“If a person can come here and prove they have a well-founded fear of persecution on the basis of the five categories in refugee law – people must be afforded the opportunity.
“It must be looked at objectively, not just say ‘OK, you’re coming from a safe country so we’re going to fast-track you.’”
Difficult country
Mr Khambule said it is difficult to apply for asylum in Ireland.
“There is a lot of screening that Ireland puts in place and they have had it in place for a long time,” he said.
“The minister has also mentioned the fact that six out of ten people in International Protection are refused – especially in the first instance.”
He added that people “need to be listened to” when they say there is a problem in their country.
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Main image: Justice Minister Helen McEntee speaking at Government Buildings, 14-12-23. Image: Sam Boal / © RollingNews.ie
