Sharp exhange of words between MEPs over EU Migration Pact

TWO Sligo MEPs have exchanged stern words over the European Union Pact on Migration and Asylum that was passed by the European Parliament last week.

Fine Gael's Maria Walsh accused Sinn Féin's Chris MacManus of using “language last heard during the UK Brexit debate”.

The Pact will come into force in two years' time. It is designed to speed up the asylum process and boost the return of irregular migrants to home countries.

It will also require EU member states to share responsibility for asylum seekers. Migrants will be subject to a toughened pre-entry screening procedure within seven days, which would include identification and health and security checks.

Biometric data for any migrant aged six or older will be collected and there will be a mechanism to respond to sudden increases in arrivals.

However, the Pact was met with opposition – in particular from Poland's Prime Minister, Donald Tusk – as well as MacManus who voted against the Pact in Parliament.

In her broadside against MacManus for doing so, Walsh said: “After 10 years of deadlock and slow progress, the European Parliament has finally passed the first ever comprehensive plan to manage EU migration. Sinn Féin are happy to speak about the failures of Government and the EU on migration, but they continue to oppose any realistic progress in favour of political point scoring. That's irresponsible politics but also in keeping with Sinn Féin's style.

“Once again, they have decided to take the easy way out – picking and choosing rather than working constructively to tackle the issues at hand. What they don't seem to understand is that without all aspects of the EU Migration Pact, there is no Pact.

“Yet again, we see the party flip-flopping on key policy issues. At the start of this Parliamentary term, Sinn Fein's position under then MEP Matt Carthy was to oppose Eurodac, the European database that stores the fingerprints of international protection applicants.

“This week, we've seen the party do yet another u-turn by supporting Eurodac's extension, saying it is ‘necessary'.

“We've seen sitting MEP Chris MacManus deploy worrying rhetoric when speaking about migration, talking about ‘open borders' and Irish 'sovereignty'. The last time we heard such talk was out of the Conservative Party during the Brexit vote. Since the UK's disastrous decision to go it alone and leave the EU, they have faced record-breaking immigration levels and a broken asylum system.

“MEP MacManus says his party opposes ‘open borders'. Either he's not aware that Ireland does not have open borders, nor would we under the Pact, or else he is wilfully misleading the public on the implications of the EU Migration Pact.

“His voting record on the Pact and his statement also seem to tell two very different stories; begging the question, what exactly is the party's stance on migration?”

However, MacManus responded by saying the measures within the Pact “were not in Ireland's best interests” and accused Walsh of deflecting away from her party being “out of touch” with voters.

He said: “This is a blatant attempt by Maria

Walsh to distract from Fine Gael's appalling record on health, housing and their failure to stand up for Ireland in the EU.

“It is clear that her party is out of touch, out of ideas and out of time. Time and time again Fine Gael MEPs have failed to stand up for Ireland's interests, instead choosing to engage in spin rather than delivering change for the people they represent. Walsh's attempts to distract from Fine Gael failures won't fool voters

“The majority of the measures in this Pact were not in Ireland's best interests, which was why I voted to oppose them. Sinn Féin believe that Ireland needs a well-managed migration system – one that is fair, efficient and enforced.

“I believe that it should be for an Irish government to decide on key aspects of our immigration system. These are not matters for the EU to dictate to us. A one size fits all approach across the EU would not work.

“Sinn Féin want a system that recognises each member state is different and faces different pressures at any given time. That can be done in a manner that balances human rights concerns with stringent enforcement of our rules.”