Migrant crisis: Higgins says we must do more

Ireland must prepare to receive more than double the number of migrants and refugees originally stated by European ministers, according to President Michael D Higgins.

The President praised the Irish people for calling for a response to the refugee crisis ahead of the nation’s leaders, saying he was encouraged by people’s determination to make a contribution to relief efforts.

“We have to decide at certain times in our life to do what is right and what is right is to come to the assistance of those who, like our own ancestors, were being lost in the sea of the Atlantic three generations ago,” he said.

“What is important is that we all share the responsibility of what is a human tragedy unfolding before us,” said the president, adding that it would be irresponsible for those commenting on the situation to encourage a “false division” between members of the public based on their own country’s economic situation.

“I think it is to the credit of these great people that even though they have taken a great hit as a result of an imposed economic paradigm . . . they are the people who will come forward first and say come and share with us at least shelter, some security and we will be of assistance.”

“That is the Irish way at it’s best.”

Following the United Nation’s announcement that EU nations must prepare to accept up to 200,000 refugees as part of a common European strategy, Mr Higgins said Ireland may have to welcome “two to three times” more people than the 120,000 originally discussed by European leaders.

“These are people whose children are being lost at sea. These are people who are being smuggled, people seeking to escape from slavery.”

Mr Higgins underlined that the roots of the crisis lie in the international community’s failure to deal with the Syrian conflict.

Conflict

Although the Irish Government has donated €41 million to the United Nations Syrian relief fund, the UN appeal has only reached a third of the funding needed to support those affected by the conflict.

“There is a great failure at the level of the United Nations and it must be addressed by the heads of State and heads of government who will be all arriving in New York at the end of September,” said the president.

Meanwhile, Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan has said it is too early to put numbers on how many migrants Ireland will accept as part of a new EU relocation plan, though the Government will definitely increase its intake of people fleeing countries such as Syria.

Asked about comments from Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald that Ireland may accept 1,800 refugees as part of an EU relocation proposal, Mr Flanagan said details of the relocation plan still had to be worked out.

"From an Irish perspective, I don't think it's possible at this stage to put actual numbers on an intake of people," said the Minister on his way into this afternoon's meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg. "I have been speaking to Frances Fitzgerald since I have arrived here in Luxembourg. She has been given a mandate by the Government to attend the meeting of justice and home affairs ministers on Monday week in Brussels and I believe it's important that they reach satisfactory conclusions. One thing for sure is that Ireland will be increasing its commitment in terms of numbers and I would expect that all EU countries would do so in accordance with their capacity and other criteria."

‘Urgent’

Mr Flanagan is meeting EU colleagues for a pre-scheduled meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Luxembourg that is set to be dominated by the migration crisis. Calling on Europe to act "in a more urgent manner", Mr Flanagan said that the EU is set to intensify action against migrant smugglers in order to help tackle the root causes of the migration crisis.

"I know that there is a resolve from ministers here today, from the European Union to deal with this issue in a comprehensive and urgent manner," he said.

While the European Commission is set to announce a plan to relocate 120,000 refugees across the European Union next week, the precise number of people assigned to each member state will be determined by a "distribution key" that will take into account criteria such as capacity, GDP, and population size. The details of the distribution key are likely to be strongly debated among member states over the coming weeks.

“It’s important to work out the detail, and it’s important that there is an EU response. We have to recognise that though the EU speaks with one voice, there are national considerations, national parliaments,” said the Minister.

He said foreign ministers were focusing on some of the broader issues around the migration crisis, including tackling the root causes. This included prioritising engagement with states in the region and Arab states, he added.

EU foreign ministers are expected to sign off on Friday on a plan to tackle people smugglers in the Mediterranean, which could involve the targeting and destruction of vessels, a legally-complex initiative.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said ahead of the meeting that she expected a "broad consensus" on the need to move to Phase 2 of the EU's "MedNav" initiative in the Mediterranean which has to date focused on search and rescue operations.

Response

As the EU continues to struggle with formulating a coherent response to the crisis, the UN called on the European Union to accept 200,000 refugees, with the international body criticising the bloc’s “piecemeal” approach to migration.

Meanwhile, speaking in Portugal, British prime minister David Cameron defended Britain's handling of the migration crisis

Pointing out that Britain is the second largest bilateral donor to the Syrian crisis, he said that he would unveil plans to accept thousands more refugees from refugee camps outside Europe next week.

“As the second largest bilateral donor to the crisis, we have provided over £900 million in aid to help those affected in Syria and the region,” he said after meeting with the Portuguese prime minister. “No European country has done more than Britain in this regard. Were it not for that massive aid, the numbers making the perilous journey to Europe today would be even higher.”