Policy changes on asylum-seekers announced yesterday by the British government have important implications for the Republic, the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, said last night. Since Ireland and Britain are neighbouring states and are part of a common travel area, developments in the UK must be taken into account in our review of immigration policy.
The British Home Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, said yesterday that more than 30,000 asylum-seekers and their families are to be allowed to stay in Britain under a limited amnesty. The application process is to be speeded up, but he also warned the government would crack down on bogus applicants.
In his statement, Mr O'Donoghue said a report by the Interdepartmental Committee on Immigration, Asylum and Related Issues had highlighted the need to examine whether Irish policy needed to be more closely aligned with that of other EU member-states.
Meanwhile, the 47 Romanian asylum-seekers who arrived in Rosslare last Thursday were still being cared for in emergency accommodation last night. The group includes two pregnant women and 20 children.
Officers of the various State and voluntary agencies dealing with them held a meeting in the town yesterday afternoon to plan a co-ordinated response to the large influx of asylum-seekers into the area via Rosslare Harbour since last Thursday.
Local authority and South Eastern Health Board Workers, gardai and St Vincent de Paul personnel reviewed the arrangements put in place for the asylum-seekers, who include many families. A further meeting will be held tomorrow.
Efforts were still being made to find more suitable accommodation for them than the St Vincent de Paul premises where they are sleeping on mats on the floor. St Vincent de Paul Society volunteers, assisted by FAS workers, are preparing meals for them.
A society spokesperson said the town's rental accommodation resources were already stretched by the peak tourist season, and by the large number of asylum-seekers already being accommodated there.
"There is just not enough bed-and-breakfast accommodation for them, and it's hard, in any case, to get a family into a B and B," she said. It was hoped that some of the group might be dispersed tomorrow to other centres, such as Kilkenny and Waterford.
However, the volunteers were coping with the situation. "Coping with them is no bother, provided that we don't have more coming in," she added. "We have established a routine now, but if we have more coming, I don't know how we will cope."
The Labour Party deputy leader and local TD, Mr Brendan Howlin, again called on the Government to open urgent dialogue with the French authorities on the problem.
He said the Cherbourg port authorities had serious questions to answer in regard to the illegal traffic of people in containers. There was a moral responsibility on their part to see that containers were not used in this way, which held many dangers for the people. On Sunday, Mr Howlin pointed out that social services in the Wexford area were put under serious strain by the number of asylum-seekers - now over 200 - housed there.
One male Romanian was admitted to hospital at the weekend with a suspected heart complaint, but he is expected to be discharged today.