The Government has been accused of heightening “suspicion” about people seeking asylum protection in the State and of “pandering” to the far right, following recent moves to take a tougher line on immigration.
On Tuesday Minister for Justice Helen McEntee announced Botswana and Algeria would be added to a list of safe countries of origin. This means asylum seekers from those countries would be subject to a truncated process to decide their cases.
The Government also plans to run regular charter flights to deport people who are unsuccessful in asylum claims. The flights, which would use private aircraft hired by the Department of Justice, are expected to start later this year.
Immigration has become a major political issue over the last year. There have been several high-profile protests seeking to block asylum seeker accommodation opening up in communities, as well as arson attacks on properties.
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Nick Henderson, chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council, said language from the Government that it was “cracking down” on asylum claims was not helpful.
The comments could give the public a sense that people coming to Ireland to seek asylum were “doing something wrong”, he said. “You can’t have a wrongful asylum claim, you can have an asylum claim that fails ... People shouldn’t be victimised for doing so,” he said.
The council was asked by officials in November if it viewed Algeria, Botswana, Pakistan and Nigeria as countries that could be deemed “safe” when deciding asylum cases. Mr Henderson said there was a “very high” threshold to deem a country safe, which he felt was not met.
The organisation had “huge concerns” for asylum seekers who were homeless trying to navigate a “much accelerated process” to decide their claim, given many were already “struggling” to get access to legal advice, he said.
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labour Party TD, said the Government’s approach to be seen to be “tightening” the asylum system was troubling. “It’s clear now that the protests have been successful ... You crack down on something that is illegal, seeking asylum is not illegal,” he said.
“Asylum seekers are not setting places on fire, they’re not blocking roads, they’re not intimidating women and children heading into accommodation,” he said. Mr Ó Ríordáin said the policy changes announced by Ms McEntee would only add to the “sense of suspicion” that asylum seekers were “not genuine”.
Thomas Pringle, Independent TD for Donegal, said the rhetoric was “pandering” to the far right. “The Government is trying to make out that it’s tough on immigration and tough on the cause of immigration,” he said. Rather than “taking on” the far right the Government had “moved towards” its position on immigration and the asylum system, he said.
The State has been unable to offer accommodation to more than 750 people who arrived in the country to seek asylum in recent months, due to a shortage of properties available to house people applying for international protection.
John Lannon, chief executive of migrant support organisation Doras, said he was very concerned people in this cohort would have difficulty accessing legal advice, ahead of interviews as part of their asylum claim. “It’s worrying that the rights to seek asylum appear to be getting lost in the narrative that’s coming forward now,” he said.
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