Ireland plans to send migrants back to UK under emergency law
A makeshift refugee camp outside the Irish Government International Protection Office in Dublin – AFP
Ireland is planning to return asylum seekers to the UK under new emergency laws.
Simon Harris, the taoiseach, has asked for proposals to be brought to cabinet next week, after concerns were raised that the UK’s Rwanda plan had already caused an influx of asylum seekers to the country.
Mr Harris has asked Helen McEntee, the justice minister, to bring forward proposals to allow the return of inadmissible international protection applicants to the UK, according to the Irish broadcaster RTE.
It comes just days after Micheal Martin, the deputy prime minister, complained that the Rwanda policy was “impacting on Ireland” as people were “fearful” of staying in the UK.
The justice minister said that she would be meeting with James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, on Monday to raise the issue.
Ms McEntee told RTE’s Six One News: “My focus as minister for justice is making sure that we have an effective immigration structure and system.
“That’s why I’m introducing fast processing. That’s why I’ll have emergency legislation at cabinet this week to make sure that we can effectively return people to the UK and that’s why I’ll be meeting with the Home Secretary to raise these issues on Monday.”
A spokesman for the taoiseach said that Ms McEntee had been asked “to bring proposals to cabinet next week to amend existing law regarding the designation of safe ‘third countries’ and allowing the return of inadmissible international protection applicants to the UK.”
More than 80pc of migrants ‘entered from UK’
Ms McEntee revealed earlier this week that 80 per cent of illegal arrivals to the Republic of Ireland came from the UK across the Irish border.
She told RTE: “There are many reasons why we have seen an increase in migration toward Ireland.
“What’s clear in the decision that the UK have taken in choosing Brexit, they have actually seen an increase in people seeking asylum in their country.
“The way that they deal with that, it’s their policy.”
The Rwanda Bill, which will allow asylum seekers to be flown to the central African nation, was passed through Parliament this week and has received royal assent.
Rishi Sunak said that flights could take off within ten to twelve weeks.
Mr Sunak told Sky News the comments from Mr Martin were evidence that the plan is already acting as a deterrent.
“What it shows, I think, is that the deterrent is… already having an impact because people are worried about coming here,” he said.
Asked if the Rwanda plan meant that the UK was simply “exporting the problem” of illegal migration, the Prime Minister said: “Well, my focus is on the United Kingdom and securing our borders”.
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