Marie Sherlock (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Civil Engagement Group for this important motion. We are seeing a normalisation of the Mediterranean becoming a graveyard for thousands of people fleeing war, persecution and poverty in a desperate bid to make a life for themselves in Europe. It has become normalised, particularly in western Europe. It is a shame on all member states of the European Union to have been party to decisions to effectively delegate responsibility to third countries for those fleeing war, persecution and poverty and to put people into the arms of people traffickers and into this nightmare of detention centres, which goes on for months and years, deprived of food, light and water. There are cases of torture and rape. We are all indebted to the extraordinary journalistic work of Sally Hayden in her book documenting the frightening things taking place in Libya and other countries in north Africa.

Deals have been done with Turkey and Libya, which some charities decry as a wild west where armed militias pose as the Libyan coastguard and live ammunition is used against migrants’ boats in open water. We have had no oversight or public information on the millions of euro going from the EU into Libya for so-called border and migration management since 2017. There is little or no oversight or investigation into the activities of Frontex providing surveillance information to the Libyan authorities in order to intercept refugees and migrants and put them back into the nightmare of those detention centres. Now we have proposals for a deal with Tunisia of up to €1 billion for border management efforts. This is framed as an anti-smuggler operation but there is no plan in place to ensure what has been documented in Libya will not happen in Tunisia or any other country.

We can point to what other EU member states are doing, particularly Italy’s disgraceful actions with regard to bringing an end to Operation Sophia and the actions of certain member states with regard to the new legislation on refugees coming into the new migration pact under discussion. It is a question of what Ireland can do. Will we continue to be part of the crowd or will we step up to the plate, stand out and be true to the values we espouse and like to think we cherish, about standing up for what is right and standing on the side of those in need and fleeing war and persecution?

There are a number of simple asks in the motion and it is disappointing the Government seeks to dilute it to the point where it means nothing and where there would be no outcome from this debate. As has been articulated, we need a cessation of funding to third countries for the purposes of detaining persons seeking asylum, a review of the conditions in detention centres and to ensure safe routes for people seeking asylum in Europe. The choice is between being part of the pack and giving in to an emerging far right view of blocking migration at all costs or putting our hands up and saying this is wrong and what is happening in the Mediterranean has to stop. We have unfortunately become desensitised to it. The eyes of the world were on the north Atlantic last week and five persons losing their lives at sea, yet day-in and day-out thousands lose their lives or are endangered by the trips they are forced by traffickers to take in unsuitable boats and in the most awful of circumstances.

I commend the work of the Civil Engagement Group and express my extreme disappointment at the Government’s approach to this. A cowardly approach has been taken in the amendment tabled this evening.