Ireland plans to legislate to return asylum seekers to UK

Advertising

The Irish government has announced new legislation to return asylum seekers to the UK.

Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee said the emergency laws could speed up the processing of migration claims: “It's not a panacea, it never has been when we're talking about income. It's the best way to have a tough but fair immigration system. A fast processing system, which means people's applications are processed very quickly.”

London sees success in Rwanda policy

Dublin is calling on London to stick to a 2020 deal that would allow asylum seekers to return in both directions.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was not interested in such a deal and that his government would decide who to allow to enter. “If the EU doesn't accept EU withdrawal to France, where illegal immigrants come, we won't accept EU withdrawal via Ireland,” Sunak said on Monday.

Sunak says the increase in migrants from the UK to Ireland shows his controversial Rwanda policy is working. Parliament passed the law last week.

According to the Prime Minister, it is intended to prevent people trying to reach England from making the dangerous crossing across the English Channel. Human rights activists and migrant groups call the policy unethical, inhumane and costly.

The Irish government's proposed law to return asylum seekers to the UK is a response to an Irish Supreme Court ruling that found Ireland to be a “safe third country” for asylum seekers in breach of EU rules.

Ireland's Justice Minister Helen McEntee said last week that the number of asylum seekers coming to Ireland from Northern Ireland is now “more than 80 per cent”. She did not give exact figures.