Ireland won't become ‘loophole' for migration
Taoiseach Simon Harris has said Ireland will not “provide a loophole for anybody else’s migration challenges”.
He told journalists at the weekend: “Every country is entitled to have its own migration policy, but I certainly don’t intend to allow anybody else’s migration policy to affect the integrity of our own one. 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.”
His comments, last Sunday in Monaghan, came ahead of new emergency proposals brought before Cabinet on Tuesday (April 30) targetted at stemming the tide of people entering Ireland illegally from across the Irish Sea.
The emergency legislation was tabled by Minister Helen McEntee, who was due to meet with British Home Secretary James Cleverly in London on Monday. However, the meeting was cancelled last minute amid ratcheting tensions over asylum seekers entering the Republic via Northern Ireland.
She recently informed a Dáil parliamentary committee that more than 80% of recent arrivals entered via the land border.
The comes in the wake of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's own comments that migrants rerouting towards Ireland showed the UK's Rwanda scheme was working as a deterrent.
Mr Harris' statement was delivered while attending the 50th anniversary commemoration of the murder of the late Senator Billy Fox.
Speaking at the entrance to the Senator Billy Fox Memorial Park near the village of Bawn, the Taoiseach said: “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. It is a statement of fact that there was a returns agreements in place between Ireland and Britain, and there was a High Court decision in March in relation to that.”
He described as “quite appropriate” that Ireland has in place a policy that will allow for “people to be returned to the United Kingdom” if they cross over illegally.
In relation to further checks, in particular along the Border, the Taoiseach added it was a “statement of fact” that the PSNI and An Garda Siochana already work together on attempts to tackle human trafficking, but said: “I do certainly think that's going to be there for much more of that, in terms of that collaboration. So I do know my colleague, the minister, information for the British Home Secretary, tomorrow, I very much welcome that. But any scenario in relation to any loopholes, perceived or otherwise will be responded to by this government.”
He stated that “whether [British immigration] policies are working was a matter for the British people to decide”, and concluded that the “integrity” of Ireland's own position will not be undermined by the legislative decisions of others.
“This is the country that sees the benefit of migration. There's absolutely no doubt. But it's also a country that has rules in place. It's a country that intends to enforce those rules. We intend to provide humanitarian assistance to those who come here and have a right to it. But we also intend to have a scenario where, for people who come here and don't have a right, that they can be returned.”
Deputy Fine Gael Leader, and Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys concurred with what the Taoiseach said, and shared her own worry at the ramping up of rhetoric around immigration issues of late.
Moments earlier the Taoiseach himself criticised protests outside people’s homes as “downright thuggery”.
“We're an island as you know, and the only open border we have is with Northern Ireland and we want to keep that in place,” said Minister Humphreys.
“We fought hard to keep that open border during Brexit, and it's important that stays. So I think people need to be careful in the language that they use, because it can cause difficulties. We know what the British said, around Brexit it was, bring back our borders. That's wrong. We shouldn't be talking like that. It's dangerous language. We need to be careful.”
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