Limited access to EU security database may hamper ‘robust' screening of asylum-seekers, government report says
A government report on the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum has also warned of undue stressors on the asylum system, inadequate staff training, and the risk of backlogs and absconding leading to reputational damage.
The new immigration control system across the 27 EU member states has been adopted by Ireland and is set to come into effect in June 2026.
It will aim to tackle key inefficiencies within the current system, while also protecting external borders and supporting member states 'under migratory pressure through greater burden-sharing'.
A report prepared for the Government has highlighted how Ireland does not have access to certain EU security databases available to Schengen member states, and is limited in its access to the full European search portal.
There is concern, the report states, that, as a result, Ireland may not be able to adequately conduct screening or carry out 'robust identity validation' in line with the requirements of the EU Pact.
The Department of Justice told the Irish Independent that it was a central priority for Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan that Ireland's immigration system be robust and effective.
While Ireland would not have access to the entry/exit system, ETIAS and the Visa Information System, the Government had opted into the EuroDac system, which is a fingerprint database for asylum-seekers that will be upgraded by June of next year.
It will store official documents and photographs of asylum- seekers as well as their first place of application to help decrease secondary movement.
The department said that while Ireland could not opt in to the Schengen IT systems, the State intended to legislate nationally to align with its provisions.
It said the State would carry out screening on anybody who entered Ireland irregularly – this will consist of identity checks, health checks, security and criminal screening and gathering fingerprint data for the EuroDac database.
Last year, there were 18,560 applications for international protection, a 40pc increase on 2023, with more than 50pc of applicants coming from Jordan, Nigeria, Somalia, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The report also says that Ireland has 'responded generously to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine' and granted more than 113,332 applications for temporary protection between 2022 and January of this year.
Figures show that the Department of Justice and state-funded migration operations delivered 934 voluntary returns last year.
The Government has also committed to providing 14,000 state-owned beds which it says will help support the delivery of the pact requirements. The acquisition of facilities for state-owned properties 'will deliver significant savings to the Exchequer' in the long run, according to the report.
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