O'Rourke calls for "real reform" of Ireland's immigration system after Simon Harris comments

Athlone councillor Aengus O'Rourke has urged the Government to deliver "real reform" of Ireland's immigration system in the wake of comments last week by Tánaiste Simon Harris, who stated that the number of people migrating to the country was too high.

In widely-reported remarks, the Fine Gael leader said Ireland's asylum seeker system was not working and that the Government's existing policies ought to be reconsidered "in a very serious way".

Cllr Aengus O'Rourke is one of four Athlone councillors taking an ongoing High Court action against the Government over a temporary International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centre in the Lissywollen area of the town. The latest court hearing in that case is scheduled for this coming Friday, November 7.

In a statement this week, Cllr O'Rourke said: "I warmly welcome Tánaiste Simon Harris’s refreshingly candid statement on Ireland’s migration challenges, acknowledging that our migration numbers are too high and that this issue 'needs to be considered in a very serious way by Government.'

"Notwithstanding Minister Jim O'Callaghan’s good start on dealing with illegal immigrants since his appointment in the past year to the Justice role, the Tánaiste's remarks in the past few days mark what many believe to be the first genuine recognition at senior Government level that Ireland's current approach to migration and asylum processing is not robust enough or sustainable," said the Fianna Fáil councillor.

"Mr Harris further highlighted that with 80% of asylum applications currently being rejected, the system is clearly under strain — a statistic that, he said, 'should raise a red flag' for Government.

"This acknowledgement is welcome. For too long, the debate around migration has been avoided or framed in extremes," he said

"Ireland urgently needs a system that is compassionate, fair and efficient. A system that offers real protection to those fleeing war, famine, or persecution, while also maintaining control, consistency and robustness in how we manage those arriving to our shores without valid grounds for asylum.

"Currently, Ireland's asylum process is far too cumbersome and slow, leaving individuals lingering around our towns and cities in limbo and placing unnecessary pressure on communities and public services.

"The State's reluctance or inability to immediately refuse entry to those who have already been denied asylum in other European countries raises serious concerns about the integrity and reliability of our system.

"The Government has a very poor record when it comes to dealing coherently with the immigration issue. Their attempts to shoehorn 1,400 single men from all parts of the world into tents in a field in Lissywollen, Athlone is clear evidence of that poor record.

"Government now needs to show some real political leadership, agility and fresh thinking around the immigration issue."

Cllr O'Rourke said he would like to see four changes in particular being made to the current system. He listed his proposed changes as follows:

"1. Streamline asylum processing to ensure rapid, fair, and humane decisions for those in genuine need. Adequate resourcing of the processing system is essential.

"2. Strengthen border controls and verification measures to prevent abuse of the system by individuals arriving without identification or valid claims.

"3. Implement immediate return procedures for those proven to have applied unsuccessfully for asylum in other EU states, in line with EU regulations.

"4. Maintain Ireland’s humanitarian commitments while ensuring that migration remains sustainable and in the best interests of the Irish people and those seeking genuine refuge."

Concluding his statement, the Athlone councillor said: "My sincere hope is that Ireland once and for all moves beyond rhetoric and delivers real reform; compassionate where it should be, but firm where it must be."