Government migrant inaction is criticised

Plans to resettle 520 migrants inadequate – claim

Government plans to resettle 520 migrants in response to the Mediterranean migration crisis have been criticised as inadequate.

Fr Alan Hilliard of the Irish Episcopal Commission for Emigrants acknowledged that the proposal is significantly better than the previous plan for 300 resettlement places, saying “it’s very important that they’re looking to improve things – for every person offered a future it’s fantastic for them, that can’t be underestimated”.

Nonetheless, he told The Irish Catholic, “we’re dealing with a crisis”. Describing the few hundred people being offered sanctuary as “only a tiny fraction” of those who need help, he said “there is scope for more”.

“We think we’re brave taking a couple of hundred,” he said, “when Jordan have a half million refugees on their border.”

The Government’s plans come in the aftermath of the Irish ship L.É. Eithne rescuing over 1,150 migrants between Libya and Italy, where they were put ashore at the port of Taranto.

Fr Hilliard also took issue with the EU regulation that attempts to prevent so-called ‘asylum shopping’ by clarifying that only one member state is obliged to process an asylum application. “The Dublin Convention needs to be re-examined,” he said, because in practical terms, “wherever a person lands – that country is responsible for granting asylum and processing. We are being totally negligent in terms of our obligations and are leaving Italy to take the rap.

“If we’re a community, we can’t be dumping on one country. It’s not right that we expect the Italians to take the responsibility for everything.”

If we were in Italy’s position, he said, “we’d be looking for assistance from our brothers and sisters in Europe.”

He said “the biggest issue is why people are leaving their countries”, adding that in the case of countries like Libya and Eritrea, European policies are at least partly to blame.

Regardless of our European partners’ actions, Fr Hilliard said, Ireland needs a comprehensive resettlement policy. “We give huge emotional support for Syria and Gaza, but they’re far away,” he said, “and as soon as problems come home we don’t want to know.”