‘WE WON’T GIVE UK A LOOPHOLE’
Harris vows to tighten migration policy
TAOISEACH Simon Harris has insisted Ireland will not “provide a loophole” for other countries’ problems.
This came after Britain’s Prime Minister said the rise in asylum claims here shows Tory immigration policies are working.
Rishi Sunak made his remarks on Saturday while defending the deeply controversial scheme which plans to send failed asylum seekers on a one-way flight from the UK to Rwanda.
Sunak has vowed that the first flights will leave in July, despite the UK’s Supreme Court determining four months ago that the scheme is unlawful.
Deterrent
However, Sunak said he is happy that it is working as a deterrent, after the government here said 80 per cent of recent asylum seeker arrivals to Ireland came from the UK via Northern Ireland.
Speaking to reporters in Monaghan yesterday, the Taoiseach said other countries’ policies on migration will not be allowed to have an impact on Ireland.
He said: “This country will not in any way, shape or form provide a loophole for anybody else’s migration challenges.
“That’s very clear, other countries can decide how they wish to advance migration. From an Irish perspective, we intend to have a firm, rules-based system where rules are in place, where rules are enforced and where rules are seen to be enforced.”
Legislation to address the issue of returning asylum seekers to the UK is set to be brought to Cabinet tomorrow, with Mr Harris saying these new legislative proposals will seek to put in place a new returns policy.
He added: “We await the full details of that but it will allow for people to be returned to the United Kingdom.”
On whether checks should be carried out on people crossing the border from Northern Ireland to the Republic, the Taoiseach said gardai and the PSNI already work together but “there’s going to be a need for much more of that”.
Speaking on RTE’s The Week in Politics, Trade Minister Peter Burke said he has not yet seen the legislation.
However, he said the issue of asylum seekers is a “huge challenge” adding: “Obviously we have an open border, we fought so hard for that ability during Brexit because it is so important to our country for the free movement of people, goods and services.”
Justice Minister Helen McEntee was due to meet with UK Home Secretary James Cleverly today over the issue.
However, late last night, the Department of Justice said in a statement: “The meeting between the Minister for Justice and the Home Secretary tomorrow has been postponed and will be rescheduled in the near future.”
Minster McEntee said earlier: “From an Irish perspective, it is essential that we can return people back to the UK when appropriate.”
However, last night the British government said would not take asylum seekers back from here until the EU allowed it to return those whose had come across the English Channel.
A British government source said: “We won’t accept any asylum returns from the EU via Ireland until the EU accepts that we can send them back to France.
“We are fully focused on operationalising our Rwanda scheme and will continue working with the French to stop the boats from crossing the Channel.”