Not a cent claimed from €9.8m EU asylum fund
CONFIDENCE in Justice Minister Helen McEntee’s and Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman’s ability to devise an effective new immigration strategy will be further damaged by the revelation that the State has not claimed a single cent from a multibillion-euro EU immigration scheme.
The Government has claimed the new system will allow a greater focus on efficient returns of rejected applicants and accelerated processing for those from safe countries or those with no documents or with false papers.
The European Parliament vote, which was opposed by Sinn Féin, allows for more people to be detained in facilities at borders and allows countries to make financial contributions in lieu of taking in asylum seekers. Amid much publicity, the State signed the European Asylum and Migration Pact last week which aims to deliver a cross-European response to the growing problem.
Commenting on the decision at the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin said: ‘In addressing the impact on Ireland of the global migration crisis we need to work with other European countries. We need shared action to reduce numbers and speed up procedures.’
However, Independent TD Carol Nolan has discovered ‘the Government has yet to apply for any financial assistance from a €9.8billion EU Asylum fund’. In his response to questions from Ms Nolan, Mr O’Gorman also revealed: ‘The Asylum, Migration, and Integration Fund (AMIF) aims to boost national capacities and improve procedures for migration management, as well as to enhance solidarity and responsibility-sharing between EU member states.’ However, Mr O’Gorman recently confirmed to Ms Nolan that Ireland has so far failed to reclaim any expenditure related to ‘Specific Objective 3’ under the AMIF 2021-2027 programme.’
Despite the burgeoning problem, Ireland only claimed under €4.2million under the previous 2014-2020 AMIF programme for Specific Objective 3 activities related to the removal from Ireland of non-nationals whose deportation orders have been issued and who are nationals of non-EEA countries.
Ms Nolan told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘We are now three years into the new AMIF programme and despite the multi-billion cost to Ireland in terms of coping with the level of asylum, our Government has still not claimed one cent back.
‘I want clarity, and hard-pressed taxpayers are entitled to clarity on why that is happening and what is going on. Is it sheer incompetence or is there another reason?’ Ms Nolan said.