Fianna Fáil Senator Lisa Chambers has declared that asylum seekers committing serious crimes, including those already granted asylum, must face deportation. Attempting to address the recent EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, Chambers took a stance harsher than the internal Fianna Fáil report on immigration, suggesting immediate deportation for asylum seekers involved in major legal infringements while waiting for international protection decisions.
The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, recently passed by the European Parliament, aspires to expedite the processing of asylum applications and enact shared responsibility among member states. States unwilling to consent to asylum seekers can instead contribute monetarily. Notably, the contentious pact stipulates the gathering of facial images and fingerprints from children as young as six, and possible detainment of asylum seekers in border centres located in or near airports during their assessment.
Furthermore, an internal Fianna Fáil memorandum, disclosed in the Irish Independent, demands the criminalisation of passport destruction upon entering the country seeking international protection. It also mandates heavier penalties for transport services that neglect to verify passenger passports upon arrival in Ireland.
At the ardfheis, Chambers expressed her stance saying if anyone commits a crime in the state, whether they’re seeking asylum or have been granted refugee status, they should be sent back. Chambers admitted that she isn’t working on the Migration Pact, but foresees no challenge at the EU level, expecting other countries to align with her perspective. She noted that it would take up to two years before it becomes operational.
Dublin’s MEP for the party, Barry Andrews, anticipates a potential onslaught of legal disputes. He notes that the incessant adjudications regarding the immigration laws in Irish High Court’s history indicate that some of these concerns might likely land in the European Court of Justice.
Nonetheless, Mr Andrews remains convinced about the essence of the pact, stating that the fundamental aim is to strike a balance. This balance involves safeguarding the human rights of those escaping persecution out of genuine fear while also regaining public trust regarding the process of migration management — an issue relevant not only to Ireland but the entire European Union.
Assertively, he expressed his views about the necessity of removing this issue from the clutches of the extreme right wing, emphasizing their continued efforts to engender social discord.
Mr Andrews took a verbal swipe at Sinn Féin, expressing his astonishment over Mary Lou McDonald, the party leader, claiming her opposition to open borders. He questioned her positioning, given her prior unambiguous statement denying the existence of open borders and highlighted the incoherent reasoning as to why there are numerous cases of people perishing in the Mediterranean if such borders exist.
Promisingly, Mr Andrews declared his intent to push for the reinstatement of an EU Search and Rescue operation in the Mediterranean if he secures an electoral victory.
Faced with the question of whether the pact’s policy, which means undocumented individuals would be taken to detention centres, held for some time and then likely deported, sat comfortably with his beliefs, Mr Andrews responded referring to the decade-long negotiation process behind the agreement. “Politics is about what you can live with, not about getting exactly what you want,” he asserted.
Finalising his statement, he reinforced the mandate for humanitarian safeguards, ensuring access to justice and protection of human rights within the constrained parameters of the border procedure set to be a two-month process.