Latest news with #EUPactonMigrationandAsylum
Extra.ie
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Extra.ie
Immigration screening at risk as EU data unavailable to Ireland
There are fears immigration officials won't be able to perform robust identity checks and security screening on asylum seekers due to the country's lack of access to key EU security databases, a Government report has warned. The report on the introduction of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum is expected to come into force in June of next year. It says Ireland 'may not be able to carry out the most robust identity validation' due to the country's exclusion from the Schengen Area and the related IT border security systems. The report on the introduction of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum is expected to come into force in June of next year. Pic: Getty Images Under the 1985 Schengen Agreement, border controls between EU Member States on the European mainland were abolished. The Agreement allows people to travel from the likes of Sweden to Portugal without having to present their passports at national borders. However, the UK and Ireland opted out of the Schengen Agreement as a common travel area has existed between the two States since partition in 1923, with amendments on air travel in place since 1997. Under proposals in the EU Migration Pact, asylum seekers would be subjected to strict biometric security checks, such as providing fingerprints and facial screening. It is understood that the Government will have to recruit in the region of 400 staff to manage the new regime on asylum applications at a cost of € 32 million. Recently, it was revealed that 80% of migrants entering the Republic are doing so over the border. Pic: Getty Images Michael Murphy, a former director of military intelligence official with the Defence Forces, told RTÉ: 'One thing the plan does not address is our agreements with the United Kingdom on the movement of people across the border with Northern Ireland, and so that's a great weakness that is not addressed.' Recently, it was revealed that 80% of migrants entering the Republic are doing so over the border. The plan, which has been prepared for the Government in advance of the EU Migration Pact coming into effect, warns of a 'concern' that Ireland 'may not be able to adequately conduct screening' because it will not have access to the EU's Entry/ Exit system, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, and the EU Visa Information System. The EU's Entry/Exit system is a new IT system to help Member States to manage the EU's external borders. It is due to be operational in October and will record the date and place of each entry and exit, facial images and fingerprints of travellers to the EU, and whether an individual has been refused entry to a country. According to the European Commission, the database is designed to prevent irregular immigration and identify travellers who have no right to enter, or have exceeded their permitted stay. Pic: Shutterstock According to the European Commission, the database is designed to prevent irregular immigration and identify travellers who have no right to enter, or have exceeded their permitted stay. The system can also identify travellers who are using fake identities or passports, and the information will be used to detect and investigate terrorist offences and other serious crimes. Minister for European Affairs Thomas Byrne also told RTÉ: 'We are part of the EU Migration Pact because Minister O'Callaghan wants a firm but fair asylum policy. 'We want to make sure that people coming to this country have a right to come to this country or are genuinely fleeing war or disaster, and that the system is not abused. 'We've been roundly criticised by the Opposition parties for joining the EU Migration Pact, and now they're criticising us because there are issues with it. 'We are looking at measures to ensure that every person coming into this country is screened, and we are looking at what is the best way to access information so that we can have our own screening system'
Irish Independent
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
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.
RTÉ News
25-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Ireland's asylum system 'wide open for abuse', says former military chief
Former deputy director of military intelligence of the Irish Defence Forces Michael Murphy has said that Ireland's asylum system is "open" for exploitation. It comes after a Government report warned immigration officials in Ireland may not be able to perform robust identity checks and security screening on asylum seekers due to the country's lack of access to key EU security databases. A new implementation plan for the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum - which is due to come into force next year - states that Ireland "may not be able to carry out the most robust identity validation" due to the country's exclusion from the Schengen Area and the related IT border security systems. Speaking on RTÉ's This Week, Mr Murphy said: "The system is wide open for abuse. "You have people coming in, travelling in without passports. "We don't know who they are. If you're coming from a third country, say far away, how do you do the security check on who they are?" "They can come in on a false passport. They can come in and stay in the country, not ever be discovered. "So therefore yes, our system or lack of border control is a security threat to the State." Mr Murphy said that abuse of the system was harming the cases of those who are actually seeking asylum in Ireland, and that the security checks should be more balanced. "I think the first thing is actually balancing a little bit more to the security side and of course, look after the genuine people who are fleeing war. "There's a lot of people who are not fleeing war and using the system to get into the country," he said. "That abuse is actually hurting those who are genuinely looking for asylum," he added. Mr Murphy said that Ireland was vulnerable by not having control over the Common Travel Area with the UK. "The fact that we don't have control of between what's happening between ourselves in the United Kingdom, it's a weakness. "But I think it can be covered by other systems," he said. "We actually signed into the advanced personal information and we also have signed into the personal name record for travelling into this country to prevent terrorism. "We're not applying those, so therefore if they were applied, it would certainly cover a lot of the difficulties that we see here by not signing into these three agreements," he added. Mr Murphy said that an agreement with the UK similar to the ESTA system in the US would be favourable. "We need an agreement with the United Kingdom, because that's where a lot of the people coming into the country are coming from. "As the government is saying, they can actually replicate in somewhat way the three systems that we are not signed up to in the European Union, like the ESTA," he said. 'Government hasn't a clue' - Tóibín Meanwhile, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has said that Irish immigration officials not being able to access EU databases on criminal records of asylum seekers was down to a lack of Government information. Also speaking on RTÉ's This Week, he said: The Government hasn't a clue what's going on in so many aspects to this. It took me two years of asking the Minister for Justice, where were people coming from before she actually found out," he said. "The answer is to share that information. We don't necessarily have to opt in to Schengen. The information exists and that information should be provided to all EU countries," he added. He said that his party wants to see stricter regulations on people entering the country through Northern Ireland. Mr Tóibín said he was not advocating for Northern Ireland to close its borders, but rather impose stricter checks on those coming in. The Department of Justice told the programme that while Ireland will not have access to the entry/exit system, ETIAS and the Visa Information System - the Government has 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 cannot opt in to the Schengen IT systems - the State intends to legislate nationally to align with its provisions. It said the State will carry out screening on anybody who enters Ireland irregularly - this will consist of identity checks, health checks, security and criminal screening and gathering fingerprint data for the EuroDac database.
RTÉ News
25-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Ireland may lack 'robust' asylum seeker checks over EU database exclusion
Immigration officials in Ireland may not be able to perform robust identity checks and security screening on asylum seekers due to the country's lack of access to key EU security databases, a Government report has warned. A new implementation plan for the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum - which is due to come into force next year - states that Ireland "may not be able to carry out the most robust identity validation" due to the country's exclusion from the Schengen Area and the related IT border security systems. The plan prepared for the Government warns of a "concern" that Ireland "may not be able to adequately conduct screening" because it will not have access to the EU's Entry/Exit system, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, and the EU Visa Information System. The EU's Entry/Exit system is a new IT system to help member states to manage the EU's external borders. It will be operational in October of this year, and will record the date and place of each entry and exit, facial images and fingerprints of travellers to the EU, and whether an individual has been refused entry to a country. According to the European Commission, the database is designed to prevent irregular immigration, and identify travellers who have no right to enter, or have exceeded their permitted stay. The system can also identify travellers who are using fake identities or passports, and the information will be used to detect and investigate terrorist offences and other serious crimes. Access to the system is restricted to countries in the Schengen area, which share information in order to allow the free movement of people between their borders. The Schengen area includes most EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Ireland is not a member due to being part of the common travel area with the UK. Ireland will also be excluded from the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) which will be a new entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals travelling to 30 European countries due to come into effect at the end of next year. Immigration officials here are also not permitted to access the EU's Visa Information System which records the fingerprints and photographs of people applying for an EU visa. This system allows officials in the participating member states to compare a visitor's finger scans, and photographs to those held on the database. A mismatch would result in further checks on the travellers identity. The Government's National Implementation Plan for the Pact on Migration and Asylum warns that without access to these systems, "Ireland may not be able to carry out the most robust identity validation in line with the EU Pact requirements, as it is limited in its access to the full European search portal and Interoperability Framework". Government officials are now attempting to establish if, and how, Ireland's inability to opt into these three systems will impact on the state's ability to complete all areas of security screening and to receive and share relevant data with other member states. The Department of Justice told RTÉ's This Week programme that while Ireland will not have access to the entry/exit system, ETIAS and the Visa Information System - the Government has 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 cannot opt in to the Schengen IT systems - the State intends to legislate nationally to align with its provisions. It said the State will carry out screening on anybody who enters Ireland irregularly - this will consist of identity checks, health checks, security and criminal screening and gathering fingerprint data for the EuroDac database.
Irish Times
29-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
The 34th Dáil is finally set to get to work. But what's on the agenda?
Good morning. TDs and Senators have scoffed their Easter eggs and they return to Leinster House today after the two-week recess refreshed, no doubt, after the break. It is just over three months since the new Government of Fianna Fáil , Fine Gael and Independents was formed. That period in the Dáil has been marked more by the massive row over speaking rights than the passing of legislation, of which very little has gotten over the line so far. READ MORE With the various Oireachtas committees expected to be up and running next week, the 34th Dáil should finally get in gear and the process of examining and debating new laws should speed up. Taoiseach Micheál Martin will today bring the Summer Legislation Programme to Cabinet which includes plans for the priority publication of 23 Bills and the drafting of 28 others. Items included in the legislative programme include a defence Bill on the deployment of peacekeepers – ie the bid to scrap the 'triple lock' - a Bill on assisted human reproduction and the Short-Term Letting and Tourism Bill. The Cabinet meets this morning and will consider such matters as the overhaul of Ireland's international protection system as part of proposals to give effect in Irish law to the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum; the purchase of military radar for the Defence Forces , and the plan to unlock funding for higher education. There is, however, a developing political row over another matter expected before Cabinet: the establishment of a new Strategic Housing Activation Office in the Department of Housing. The Coalition's preferred candidate to head up the office is Brendan McDonagh, the chief executive of the National Asset Management Agency (Nama). Reports at the weekend that he would retain his Nama salary of some €430,000 if seconded to the new role sparked Opposition criticism . On Monday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he understood public concern over the mooted salary but said 'the overarching concern is getting houses built much more quickly'. Our tee-up story for today's Cabinet meeting can be found here . Today's lead story is the huge power outage across Spain and Portugal. Our Europe Correspondent Jack Power reports on how investigations were ongoing on Monday to determine the exact cause of a widespread electricity blackout that cut off power to millions of people across Spain and Portugal , leading to huge disruption as authorities battled to restore power. Elsewhere on the front page Legal Affairs Correspondent Mary Carolan outlines how the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is seeking to overturn a District Court judge's 'unreasonable and irrational' refusal to convict more than 30 drivers of alleged speeding on a road in Co Kildare. And we report on tech giant Meta introducing a new service for public figures such as politicians and celebrities to protect them from so-called 'celeb-bait' fake advertisements using their image. Best Reads As Donald Trump reaches his 100th day in his second stint in the Oval Office, our Washington Correspondent Keith Duggan writes that the US president's approval rating is way down and no one knows what he's going to do next. Back home, Joe Brennan reports that average Irish mortgage drawdowns hit a record of almost €328,000 in the first three months of the year, with borrowers taking on more debt as home prices continued to soar amid a shortage of properties for sale. As part of an investigation led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), Scilla Alecci and Colm Keena write that China has been using the international policing network Interpol to target not just criminals but critics of the Beijing regime and members of persecuted religious groups living overseas. There is coverage from Patsy McGarry and Steven Carroll of the death of bishop Brendan Comiskey and how the senior cleric had admitted his best efforts to deal with abuse allegations against the notorious Fr Seán Fortune were 'not good enough'. Playbook The Cabinet meets this morning and the Dáil is back after the Easter recess. Leaders' Questions is at 2pm followed by Taoiseach's questions. Government business in the afternoon (from 3.49pm) is statements on Children's Health Ireland (CHI). The organisation has been in the news in recent weeks after the publication of a report on the use of unauthorised springs in children's spinal surgeries. Here is some of our previous coverage . Another CHI-related issue will be raised by Sinn Féin, which is tabling a motion on allegations about unnecessary hip surgeries. The debate starts at 7.21pm. Minister for Children Norma Foley takes parliamentary questions from 9.21pm. TDs have an opportunity to raise topical issues from 10.57pm and the Dáil is due to adjourn just before midnight. Seanad proceedings start at 2.30pm and Government business later in the evening is statements on forestry and a motion on the proposed approval of the final draft of the revised National Planning Framework. The main Oireachtas committees are not expected to sit for the first time in this Dáil term until next week. The full Dáil and Seanad schedules can be found here and here . Sign up for Politics push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone Was this email forwarded to you? 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