Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Today I address the EU migration pact, which comprises five separate regulations. The Eurodac regulation aims to create a central database for biometric data to help member states determine responsibility for asylum applications and to aid law enforcement in preventing criminal activities. However, concerns about potential expansion of surveillance on all citizens should be noted. Second, the screening regulation seeks to enhances border control by screening third-country nationals for asylum procedures. This may impact countries such as Ireland which are not part of the Schengen area. Third, the asylum procedure regulation aims to harmonise asylum procedures across the EU to ensure fair treatment for applicants. However, stricter requirements for determining safe countries could affect Ireland’s ability to return applicants. The asylum and migration management regulation aims to modify criteria for processing asylum applicants and establish a solidarity mechanism. This could lead to Ireland accepting a minimum of 30,000 asylum seekers annually or facing significant financial penalties. There is a significant concern that this regulation would place a disproportionate burden on Ireland. If the calculations in the regulation had been in place in 2022, Ireland would have been required under EU law to take in more than 106,000 migrants. Given the unsurmountable chaos of our migration system at this time, signing up to this would be an unmitigated disaster. I call on the Government to seriously consider turning down this pact. We are signing up to a disproportionately financially burdensome position. We are also at risk of causing a humanitarian crisis as we are stretched beyond our capacity at this time.