Government cannot guarantee there will be fewer asylum seekers entering the country following rule change

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says he cannot guarantee there will be a decrease in the numbers of asylum seekers coming in after tougher rules have been imposed.

The Government this week announced a clampdown on international protection applicants by adding two countries to the so-called ‘safe’ list and promising faster processing times for people coming from those countries. The new rules kicked in on Wednesday.

Mr Varadkar said there had not been a “clampdown on immigration” but a “crackdown on illegal migration”. He said some migrants were using the international protection system when they should be applying for work permits instead.

“We can’t say that there will be a decrease [in the numbers of people coming],” he said. “There are many numbers and factors that drive people to come to Ireland seeking international protection, most of which are outside of our control.”

He said about 40pc of asylum seekers got the right to stay.

“These are genuine people who deserve our protection and should get it, there are record numbers of them too.”

He said there were more people now “on the move” around the world since World War II, driven by conflict, oppression, poverty, unemployment and climate change.

The Taoiseach said that more a million people came into Europe last year “irregularly” and it was not a surprise that 1pc or 2pc were coming to Ireland.

“These aren’t things that we can control,” he said.

He said migration rules changing in other countries had also had an impact, as well as Ireland’s strong economy with demand for jobs.

“Instead of applying for work permits like they ought to, or work visas like they could, they may use the international protection system to get around it and that’s what we can’t allow.”

“We’ve an immigration policy which is fair and welcoming to those who come here legally but is firm with those who come here illegally.

“Far from clamping down immigration, we’re welcoming immigration. But we are cracking down on people who come to the country illegally and try and abuse the generosity of our system,” he said.

He said a clampdown on immigration and a crackdown on illegal migration were “totally different things”.

“We all need to be better at learning the language and speaking about migration confidently and competently. There’s lots of different types of migration.”

He said Ireland issued up to 40,000 work permits per year.

“The area that’s become controversial is a small part of the [migration] operation and that’s international protection. We want to grant protection to those who are entitled to it as quickly as possible and integrate them into our society. “

He said he stood over a crackdown on people who were trying to get around the immigration system when they should be applying for work visas.

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