Refugees seeking full citizenship in Ireland will receive favourable consideration if they are in employment, according to Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan.
He made the comments after the Cabinet signed off on a package of reforms to the State’s migration framework, reports RTE.
He confirmed that individuals granted refugee status here will now face a five-year wait before being eligible to apply for citizenship.
Any welfare supports received during that timeframe will be reviewed, and those in employment will be at an advantage, the minister said, emphasising that the new approach is reasonable, reports RTE.
Refugee status may also be withdrawn if an individual is deemed a threat to the State.
Under the new framework, applicants will have lengthier waits before other family members can join them in Ireland, reports RTE.
They must also prove they can financially support themselves under updated income thresholds, and will be required to pay an application fee for family reunification.
Asylum seekers who have jobs will soon need to contribute a portion of their weekly wages towards the cost of their State-provided accommodation, reports RTE.
Mr O’Callaghan said the national population is expanding by 1.5% annually, seven times the EU average, and the Government needs to make migration decisions that reflect this exceptional level of growth.
Opposition groups on the left had strongly criticised the proposals ahead of their publication, reports RTE.
Labour TD Ged Nash accused Mr O’Callaghan of “virtue signalling” on migration.
Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon argued the measures are “filled with holes” and claimed “there is cruelty built into aspects of it”, reports RTE.
People Before Profit–Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger accused the Coalition of “aping Nigel Farage” and “scapegoating” refugees and asylum seekers.
The plan requires employed asylum applicants to pay between 10% and 40% of their weekly income towards the State’s accommodation costs, reports RTE.
This framework, drawn up with Minister of State for Migration Colm Brophy, indicates that someone earning up to €150 a week could pay about €15, while a person earning up to €340 weekly would contribute roughly €83.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the measures represent a necessary tightening of the system, reports RTE.
Mr Martin insisted the updated migration proposals brought to Cabinet are “not a reaction to British policy”.
He said they amount to a modest adjustment, “but an important tightening up nonetheless”, reports RTE.
Tánaiste Simon Harris said migration is beneficial, but argued that employed asylum seekers contributing to accommodation costs would support social cohesion.
Speaking before the Cabinet meeting, Mr Harris said the migration system must be “grounded in common sense and is rules based”, reports RTE.
He said: “Migration is a good thing, we benefit from migration, but there has to be a balanced approach.”
The Minister for Finance said those earning an income should contribute, and that “those who are bringing family here must be able to sustain that family economically themselves”, reports RTE.
He said these are “common sense” steps that align Ireland with many other nations.
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) has expressed that it is “very concerned” about the new policy direction, reports RTE.
Chief Commissioner Liam Herrick said the plans restrict rights in several key areas, including family reunification and “restricting citizenship”.
Mr Herrick said such elements have been a “cornerstone” of Ireland’s integration strategy for decades, reports RTE.
He said it is not “clear” that “the potential impact on people’s rights” was “adequately considered”.
IHREC is worried “that we are going to follow the United Kingdom,” he said, reports RTE.
Mr Herrick said the UK is “clearly going in a direction which is counter to fundamental rights”.
“That is surely not a direction that Ireland wants to follow,” he said, reports RTE.
“We need to recognise the reality here,” Mr Herrick said, noting that people living in IPAS accommodation “don’t want to be living there”.
“They very often can’t access private rental accommodation,” he said, reports RTE.
“It is not clear that this has been thought out,” Mr Herrick said.
“It’s hard to see what impact it’s likely to have”, reports RTE.
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