David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality who unfortunately cannot be here. He sends his apologies. I sincerely thank the Deputies for raising this important topical matter. I am happy to provide some background and context to the global compact on safe, orderly and regular migration.

As has been said, the Minister has just returned from the intergovernmental signing conference for the compact in Marrakesh, where more than 140 UN member states were represented, most by senior ministers or Heads of State. This debate is an opportunity to clear up some misconceptions about the compact being pushed by some politicians - though thankfully none here - for obvious political ends and, in particular, by users of social media. Ireland has been closely involved in the development of the global compact on migration and, alongside Jordan, Ireland co-facilitated the 2016 New York declaration on refugees and migrants, a direct precursor to the compact.

It is clear that mass migration across the world cannot be managed by one country alone. Migration is a global issue, which requires global co-operation. The global compact on migration, agreed this week by a significant majority of UN member states in Marrakesh, is a legally non-binding document that looks at migration from a global perspective. While non-binding, it provides a framework for co-operation between states. The compact is grounded in values of state sovereignty, responsibility sharing, non-discrimination and human rights, and recognises that a co-operative approach is needed to optimise the overall benefits of migration, while addressing its risks and challenges for individuals and communities in countries of origin, transit and

destination. The global compact places state sovereignty at its heart, meaning that it respects the rights of all countries to control their borders and retain control of their migration policy.

Despite the narrative being put forward by opponents of the compact in recent days, agreeing it will not negatively influence Ireland or our migration policy. I will clear up some misconceptions on this issue. The compact will not grant the same rights to migrants as Irish nationals. It will not remove the distinction between legal and illegal migrants; rather it reinforces this distinction. The compact will not make criticising migration a crime, as some have claimed. It simply places an importance on combatting xenophobia and racism. I believe we all agree on the importance of that. The compact will not infringe on Ireland's ability to operate its own migration policy.

While it is regrettable that some countries have decided to not participate at this time, and that the compact has become a kind of cause célèbrefor far right parties in some countries, Ireland supports the objective of the compact. It provides a framework for co-operation through which Ireland can work with other countries on ensuring that legal migration, when it does occur, is as safe as possible and beneficial to all.

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