Sinn Féin spokesperson on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Matt Carthy TD, has said that the problems facing Ireland’s migration and International Protections system require a government that will act decisively rather than EU legislation.

Commenting after the EU Commission published its proposals ‘A Common System for Returns’ Deputy Carthy said that Sinn Féin supports better coordination between EU members for returns and information-sharing but would not support the introduction of any Rwanda-style scheme.

Teachta Carthy said:

“The problems facing Ireland’s International Protection System do not require EU legislation – they require a government that ensures that International Protection applications are processed quickly, and decisions enforced to ensure that those who are entitled to remain are supported to integrate into communities and those who are not entitled to remain leave swiftly.

“In the first instance, migration policies should be decided at a state level when possible by governments who are answerable to their electorates. Sinn Féin believes that Ireland’s sovereignty on migration issues should only be impinged when it is absolutely necessary to act collaboratively.

“Sinn Féin agrees that there is a need for coordination in the EU in terms of returns and information sharing. We will examine the details of the commission’s proposals ‘A Common System for Returns’ in that context.

“However, in the first instance it is the Irish Government’s responsibility to ensure that our migration system here in Ireland works better, faster and more efficiently, and is human rights compliant. We will not support any proposal for a Rwanda-style scheme.

“Sinn Féin opposed the vast majority of measures contained within the EU’s Asylum and Migration Pact, because it was not necessary nor in Ireland’s interests to sign up wholescale. It is our view that most decisions in relation to migration are best taken by the Irish Government, particularly given the additional complications of the Common Travel Area with Britain.

“However, we did support opting into two measures contained in the Pact, namely the Asylum Migration Management Regulation in relation to returns and the Eurodac Regulation on accessing the fingerprint database.

“All other aspects of the Migration pact could be implemented domestically without tying the hands of future Irish governments to react quickly to changing situations and in a way that recognises our position as an island nation with a common travel arrangement with a non-EU state.

“We will apply the same standard in examining the Commission’s latest proposals.”