Taoiseach condemns ‘divisive myths’ over Migration Pact

The Taoiseach has condemned those who peddle “divisive myths”, and urged the Dáil to support the European Union Migration Pact which he described as “essential”.

Speaking at the start of the first of two Dáil debates, today and tomorrow, Simon Harris hailed the pact as “a united effort of Europe”.

Warning that the bloc has been too “divided and too fragmented” on the issue, he was the first of several speakers to take aim at disinformation, which he said is “designed to sow division” and to “spread fear” which can spill over into violence, as happened in the Dublin riots.

The Irish people want migration to be handled with compassion and common sense, he said.

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But Mr Harris cautioned that, “Over the course of this debate, you may well hear many claims that have little regard to fact.

“There’s no implantation of men in Ireland and, most certainly, Ireland is not full.”

The Government announced in March that it would be opting into the pact, which will introduce legally-binding processing times.

If, as expected, the Government wins the Dáil vote tomorrow evening, the EU Asylum and Migration Pact would require that it substantially increase the number of staff processing applications, build new processing and accommodation centres, enhance border security and increase the collection of fingerprints.

These would be uploaded to the Eurodac database that documents international protection applicants, or those who have crossed a border illegally, across the EU and other European countries, including Switzerland and Norway.

However, the pact has provoked controversy, with critics claiming that it is heavy-handed. Opposition parties are voting against it.

‘A dangerous erosion of sovereignty’

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald condemned the Government’s decision not to opt out of any aspect of the pact as “shocking”.

Its approach to migration has been shambolic and chaotic, she said, as evidenced by the tent cities in Dublin.

“Standing up for Irish sovereignty is a key principle in a healthy relationship with the European Union,” the leader of the opposition declared. The pact is “a dangerous erosion” of that sovereignty.

On taxation, foreign affairs and on migration “power should remain with the Irish Government,” she said.

The “human catastrophe” of mass migration and the death and suffering it causes “is born of global inequality and injustice that has persisted for generations”.

The Taoiseach has condemned those who peddle “divisive myths”, and urged the Dáil to support the European Union Migration Pact which he described as “essential”.

‘Stick to the facts’

Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik agreed.

While she endorsed the need for a cross-EU approach on migration, she said that the Migration Pact does not deliver the necessary “solidarity with the global south”.

Deputy Bacik said that “recent debates in immigration have been dominated by disinformation”, “toxicity” and “scaremongering”.

She urged that people “stick to the facts” and to “state unequivocally that seeking asylum is a human right”.

But, despite some valuable aspects of the pact, it is with regret that the “take it or leave it” approach of the Government obliges Labour to vote against it, she concluded.

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said that Government incompetence is leading to “chaos, division and rising hate”.

“We need a fair, humane and efficiently asylum system,” she said, and wondered “when is the Government going to get it together?”.

“Very serious human rights concerns” over the “dangerous” pact means that her party is opposing it, despite the fact that she too found that there are individual aspects that are worth opting into.

“No country can deal with the challenges of migration alone,” Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs said.

“It’s essential that EU member states band together and respond as one to establish a more coherent response,” he added.

The EU Migration Pact will allow Ireland to “deliver an asylum system that is both firm and fair. A system, which is more efficient and capable of providing certainty and clarity”.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said that the pact “now represents a significant opportunity to further reform and improve the operation of the international protection system”.

The current legislation is “no longer fit for purpose,” she said, adding that new legislation would “be done in parallel with the complete reengineering of our system”.

“From start to finish we need a system that works faster.”

‘Scapegoating migrants’

Richard Boyd Barrett, Solidarity-People Before Profit TD, condemned the pact’s provision for the fast-tracking of asylum applicants from what he termed “so-called” safe countries, such as Algeria, from which people had genuine reasons to flee.

The “major, major problems” in the pact are being hidden by the EU establishment adopting “Tory tactics” of scapegoating migrants, he said.

“They add to our society, economically and culturally,” the deputy said of migrants.

“I don’t condone racism. I’m not a racist,” Independent TD John McGuinness said, “and I want to ensure that we play our role within Europe”.

He condemned the Government for leaving communities “in the dark” over the housing of international protection applicants in their neighbourhoods.

“That is why there is such anger our there.”