Ireland plans emergency law to send migrants back to UK amid claims Rwanda plan fuelling border crossings
28 April 2024, 13:46
Ireland is planning to send migrants back to the UK, amid concerns that asylum seekers are crossing from Northern Ireland because of the Rwanda plan.
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Taoiseach Simon Harris has asked the Irish justice minister to get ready legislation that would allow migrants to be returned to the UK.
The UK's Rwanda bill was finally passed this week, under which ministers plan to send asylum seekers arriving in Britain on a one-way flight to the east African nation, with the aim of deterring others from crossing the English Channel on small boats.
Mr Sunak this week said it could still take ten to 12 weeks to get flights in the air.
Deputy Irish premier Micheal Martin has raised concerns that the plan has incentivised migrants to cross from Northern Ireland into the Republic, for fear of being sent to Rwanda.
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But Downing Street on Friday rebuffed claims the Rwanda plan was already influencing movements into Ireland, saying it was too early to jump to conclusions on its impact.
Irish justice minister Helen McEntee said that she would be meeting Home Secretary James Cleverly on Monday to discuss the issue.
"My focus as minister for justice is making sure that we have an effective immigration structure and system," she told Irish broadcaster RTE.
"That’s why I’m introducing fast processing. That’s why I’ll have emergency legislation at cabinet this week to make sure that we can effectively return people to the UK and that’s why I’ll be meeting with the Home Secretary to raise these issues on Monday."
A spokesperson for Mr Harris said Ms McEntee has been asked "to bring proposals to cabinet next week to amend existing law regarding the designation of safe ‘third countries’ and allowing the return of inadmissible international protection applicants to the UK.”
It comes after Mr Martin, who also serves as Ireland's foreign affairs minister, told reporters in Dublin on Friday: "Clearly, we've had an increase in the numbers coming into Northern Ireland into the Republic.
"And it's fairly obvious that a Rwanda policy, if you're a person in a given situation in the UK and well, then you don't want to go to Rwanda - not that anybody has gone yet, I hasten to add.
"So I think it's a fair comment of mine. There are many other issues - it's not in any way trying to blame anything or anything like that."
But a No 10 spokeswoman told journalists in Westminster: "It is too early to jump to specific conclusions about the impact of the Act and treaty in terms of migrant behaviour.
"Of course, we will monitor this very closely and we already work very closely as you would expect with the Irish government, including on matters relating to asylum.
"But of course, the intention behind the Act is to have it serve as a deterrent and that is why we are working to get flights off the ground as swiftly as possible."
