Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 25 November 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade

Foreign Affairs Council: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

2:30 pm

Photo of Jim WalshJim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have taken three minutes to get to where I am. Others have had five minutes. The Minister indicated that the Council agreed on new measures aimed at strengthening the EU's external borders. Will he outline what they are?

I raise the issue of the whole migration policy. Many Muslims who have immigrated to Europe feel culturally alienated from the societies in which they live. Some second generation Muslims have resorted to becoming jihadists. We have also seen other examples from Britain, including a young man who converted in 1996 to Christianity, having been a Muslim, who is in hospital today because of continuing persecution. That is happening in Britain. I had this conversation recently with a senior British politician and the issue will feed into the referendum in Britain, so it is relevant for us to hone in on it. His idea was that although we must take our share of migrants, we could prioritise Christian migrants who feel vulnerable and alienated in their societies. We have very valuable Muslim members of society who make a great contribution to the State but why are other Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and others, which sponsor some of the people who radicalise young Muslims, not taking any responsibility with this migration crisis? That must be very much part and parcel of what happens in this process. Those who come here as Muslims and are radicalised might feel more at home culturally in those societies.

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