Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My comments will be on the same theme as those of Senator Craughwell. Rampant nationalism is the enemy of co-existence. Europe has learned that lesson in the past and I hope that we, as European citizens, never have to learn that lesson again.

Interestingly, I proposed that we establish outposts in north Africa to assess immigrants when Ms Mogherini was appointed High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy five or six years ago. I am glad my proposal has come back into vogue again. I hope it works because it will eliminate the trafficking of people and criminality and assess whether people are travelling for other purposes.

I would like to make a point that was made numerous times by the late Peter Sutherland, a former European Commissioner. He always advised us to think about the reasons people choose to migrate. Sometimes they leave due to the breakout of war or to avoid starvation. We now have what are described as economic emigrants. Citizens of every country in Europe were economic emigrants at one time or another. Many Europeans emigrated to the United States of America, which is having its own problems with immigration at present.

We must keep in mind that, regardless of what walls we build, what travel restrictions we impose and what laws we make, if there is a growing economy or economic abundance on one side of a wall and starvation and deprivation on the other side, they will have no effect because people will be driven to emigrate. I agree with my colleague all European countries, not only front-line countries, must take specific responsibility and try to ensure prosperity is extended outside the borders of Europe in a way that caters for the people who are concerned about their future in their home countries.