The number of people coming to Ireland to seek asylum has halved in the two weeks since the EU migration pact came into operation, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has said.
O’Callaghan stressed that it is “very early stages” for the new rules and advised caution in interpreting the early data. However, he said the numbers suggested that Ireland was not, as critics had claimed, losing control over the asylum process.
The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which came into operation on June 12th, establishes common standards and processes for dealing with asylum seekers throughout the bloc. It also requires all member states that have signed up to shoulder a share of the EU burden as a whole.
“It’s very early stages, but obviously the whole purpose of the legislation, the whole purpose of the agreement amongst EU member states, was to try to apply a more vigorous system,” O’Callaghan told RTÉ Radio’s This Week programme.
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“And the early numbers indicate that the number of people claiming asylum are down very significantly. In the first two weeks, 272 people have claimed asylum in Ireland, which is significantly lower, it is about a half of what it usually is. In fact, the two weeks beforehand, we saw 700 people apply, which was quite high.”
O’Callaghan suggested that the decline may be related to the role that traffickers play in the movement of asylum seekers
“They’ll be looking to see how the new system is operating and looking for ways to get around it. But the new, vigorous process that is in place, a new, vigorous screening process, security checks, identification verification, mean that it is very difficult for people coming from other EU countries where they’ve already claimed asylum to move to Ireland.”
He also said that it appeared the numbers of people coming over the Border with Northern Ireland to claim asylum was falling.
“I think anyone who has a fair claim for asylum will be able to be heard,” O’Callaghan said. “I can’t ignore the indisputable fact that the majority of people who apply for asylum in Ireland ultimately are determined not to be entitled to asylum. Now, that is indisputable. Nobody can dispute that fact.
“But what we’re doing here is we’re trying to ensure that the systems in place will deter and screen out individuals who are not entitled to asylum, and try to ensure that people who are legitimately entitled to asylum are expedited, and their process of claims are heard fast.”
O’Callaghan also said that the Government had an “open mind” about the possible use of return hubs in third countries, where the EU would send asylum seekers while their claims are considered. But he said that Ireland could seek to progress the necessary legislation during its EU presidency.
He also said that his role as Minister for Justice was not to provide accommodation for people whose cases have been adjudicated on in the asylum system.
“We have 33,000 people being accommodated within the international protection system. That accommodation is for people who are applying for international protection. It is not there for people who’ve been granted international protection, or people who, indeed, have been refused international protection. It’s for applicants, and that’s the European obligation that is imposed upon us,” he said.
