Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann shall consider the Report of the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality entitled Report on Immigration, Asylum and the Refugee Crisis, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 29th June, 2017.

Gabhaim buíochas le gach duine atá i láthair inniu chun an tuairisc thábhachtach seo a phlé. I thank the Members in the Chamber for their attendance to discuss the report of the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality on immigration, asylum and the refugee crisis. I extend a warm welcome to all our guests in the Visitors Gallery. They include representatives from the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, Nasc in Cork, the Syrian community in Ireland and communities with other global places of origin. I welcome also those friends from the undocumented in our midst.

As I state in my preface to the report, Europe has in recent times been confronted with its most serious refugee crisis since the Second World War. The ongoing tragic conflict in Syria, in particular, has put enormous pressure on the asylum systems of the frontline member states which, in turn, has had repercussions for Ireland. Owing to this urgent and large-scale refugee crisis, the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality identified the issue as a priority in its 2016-17 work programme. Between October and December 2016, the committee held a number of engagements on the matter, including meetings with the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland and Nasc, the Irish Immigrant Support Centre, to gain an insight into what supports were needed for immigrants and asylum seekers in Ireland. We also met with Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, Tánaiste and former Minister for Justice and Equality, and with Deputy David Stanton, Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality. I thank Deputy Stanton for his attendance this evening. In the course of the evidence presented to the committee, members heard of the extent to which asylum seekers face difficulties in Ireland in seeking family reunification and living in direct provision. The committee also heard of the difficulties faced by unaccompanied minors.

There are also issues with undocumented immigrants in Ireland. The report recommends bringing these individuals out of the shadows to allow them to regularise their situations and contribute to Irish society in a meaningful way. If we, as a people, genuinely want to assist our Irish undocumented in the United States of America and elsewhere, the thing to do is the right thing: that is to extend the same accommodation, welcome and opportunity to the undocumented in our midst that we want for our own displaced kith and kin on other shores. The report also recommends putting in place the resources and processes needed to ensure that people spend no longer than is absolutely necessary in direct provision. It should only ever be a short-term measure. The committee believes that the denial of the right to seek paid employment is a serious infringement of an individual applicant's human rights. As such, I welcome the recent Supreme Court judgment on this issue.

The Government has responded to the humanitarian concerns of the Irish people, in particular as regards the ongoing Syrian crisis, by offering 4,000 places to those in need of international protection under the resettlement and relocation elements of the Irish refugee protection programme. In late 2016, the Government announced that it would increase Ireland's commitment under the resettlement programme to admit an additional 520 refugees in 2017. The committee welcomes the fact that Ireland voluntarily opted to participate in the EU's emergency response by offering over 4,000 places to those in need of international protection under resettlement and relocation programmes. Given the scale of the refugee crisis facing Europe, however, the report recommends that Ireland significantly increase its intake of asylum seekers. We must step up our game by one or even two gears. This will require greater funding and resources for Tusla and other relevant agencies. It is imperative that Ireland does its utmost to assist asylum seekers and refugees fleeing regions of conflict around the world. Likewise, I call on our fellow EU member states to facilitate the safe arrival on European soil of such migrants. I note that at the high level debate of the General Assembly of the United Nations last week, Mr. Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, underscored the need for the UN to rise to the challenge of addressing many global challenges, including the migration crisis. I encourage the Government to do the same.

It is important to highlight the positive contributions of undocumented migrants and to stress the importance of bringing these people in from the shadows by allowing them to regularise their status in Ireland. Mr. Pablo Rojas Coppari of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland outlined to the committee the main findings of the centre's research paper, Ireland is Home 2016,which was prepared with the assistance of 1,008 undocumented migrants. According to the report, 84% of undocumented persons have been living in Ireland for five years or longer. Of these, 49% have been here for more than eight years and 21% have been here for more than ten years. The report also sets out that 89% of undocumented people are working, with 66% having held their current jobs for more than two years and 31% having held their current jobs for more than five years. Of respondents to the report, 69% are in full-time employment.

The top sectors in which people were employed were, not surprisingly, food and accommodation, domestic and care work, and cleaning and maintenance. These statistics demonstrate the admirable character of the undocumented. It would benefit everybody in the country to have them formally brought in from the cold and for many of them to reach their true potential as members of our collective workforce.

The report makes five key recommendations. On the undocumented, the committee calls on the Minister for Justice and Equality to introduce a time-bound scheme with transparent criteria to regularise the position of undocumented migrants. Such a scheme would give undocumented migrants a window of opportunity to come forward, pay a fee and regularise their situation. Given the urgency of addressing this situation, the scheme should be introduced, initially at least, on an administrative basis rather than through legislation. Applications should be administered on a case-by-case basis.

There are many potential benefits to such a scheme, allowing individuals, many of whom are already in employment and have a long-term connection to the State, to regularise their situation, pay taxes, and make a positive contribution to society, generally at a time when the country is returning to steady growth in employment opportunities and net immigration.

On family reunification, the committee wishes to see a more humanitarian approach adopted towards the plight of Syrian and other refugees who are naturalised Irish citizens but who have immediate or extended family members who are displaced or living in great danger in conflict zones. It calls on the Government to introduce a humanitarian admission programme with transparent and clearly defined criteria to deal with visa applications in a more sensitive way to offer a safe and legal route for people to flee conflict zones and be reunited with family members in Ireland. Such a programme could work in tandem with efforts to fulfil existing Government commitments under resettlement and relocation schemes. As Chairman, it is my clear understanding that it was the committee’s intention to recommend that this facilitation be extended to all who are legally resident in this State, not just those who are naturalised. I undertake to clarify this with the relevant Ministers in writing over the coming days.

On the relocation programme, while the committee welcomes the Government’s commitment to relocate 4,000 people here as part of the EU’s emergency response, it does not believe this is adequate in light of the scale of the current humanitarian crisis. Without putting an exact figure on it, the committee believes there is scope to increase this figure significantly. It believes Ireland should be proactive in making itself known as a potential location to refugees in Greece and elsewhere. Tusla and other relevant agencies should be given the funding and resources necessary to accommodate people quickly and fulfil Ireland’s commitments under the relocation programme.

On unaccompanied minors, notwithstanding the all-party motion passed in the Dáil in November 2016, committing Ireland to take 200 children from the former Calais migrant camp, the committee is strongly of the view that much more needs to be done for the specific cohort of unaccompanied minors in the broader context of the refugee protection programme. It was alarmed to hear evidence that, as of October 2016, one unaccompanied minor had been transferred from Greece. It is not just the responsibility of the Department of Justice and Equality but of a compendium of Departments and the Government to ensure Tusla is properly resourced to carry out its functions in this regard. It is imperative this is done across the board. In the current crisis of so many thousands displaced, specifically unaccompanied children, it must be properly provisioned and resourced to accommodate the commitment we have made.

The committee is of the view that Ireland’s system of direct provision should only ever be a short-term measure. It is unacceptable for individuals to be living in the system on a long-term basis. Evidence was heard that almost 37% of people were in direct provision for more than two years. While recognising that the introduction of a new single-application procedure should help, this must be accompanied by the investment of greater resources to ensure that asylum applications are processed more quickly and efficiently. The committee is also of the view that the denial of the right to seek paid employment is a serious infringement of an individual applicant’s human rights.

I encourage all Members of the Dáil and Seanad to read this report. What progress has been made regarding our recommendations? What steps have been taken and what steps does the Minister of State now intend taking? Will he and the Government act on all the recommendations of our all-party and non-party committee? If not, why not? We want to know where our report and our recommendations stand. We are determined to continue to pursue these in the time ahead. Our visitors here this evening in the Public Gallery are equally interested in what the Minister of State will now tell us.

Go raibh maith agaibh as bhur n-aird.

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