The Taoiseach was given the opportunity yesterday to rule out the introduction of mandatory detention centres for asylum-seekers, and declined to do so on two occasions.
During a question-and-answer session at the National Press Club in the Australian capital of Canberra, Mr Ahern repeated that the Government was reviewing its policy on immigrants.
"We have made no decisions but I think we have to tighten our system somewhat. It is well known in Europe that the UN High Commission thinks that the Irish system is far too liberal anyway," he said.
Earlier, at a joint press conference following a one-hour private meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, Mr Ahern was asked if he was considering detention camps and compounds to deal with illegal immigrants. "We haven't discussed it yet but I did look over the last number of days at how policy works here. I am conscious that the Australian system is probably the best in the world for dealing with immigration," he replied.
He added that there were compounds not only in Australia but in the Netherlands, Denmark and other countries in Europe. The Australian system operated within UN rules.
"I think we have to look at what is best practice, what is being done," he said.
Asked to account for the need to change immigration policy, the Taoiseach explained that early last decade the State would receive 40 to 50 asylum-seekers in a year. Now we received 1,000 in a month.
"We were able up to recently to look after those in a very liberal way. We had the most liberal regime in Europe," he said.
Speaking to a largely Australian audience, Mr Ahern stated that there were no receiving centres for asylum-seekers.
"You merely come into the office, you sign up and you are given benefits and accommodation. The accommodation is usually better than we would give to our own people seeking affordable housing," he said.
"When you get past the first 10,000 people doing that, particularly when they all want to be in Dublin, then it gets slightly difficult. So we are now trying to see how we can deal with it." The importance of solving the problem had increased when other European countries, notably the United Kingdom, decided to replace direct financial aid with a voucher system. "We know from experience that every time that another country tightens up, the numbers coming in in the boats, cattle trucks and the backs of lorries, increase dramatically," Mr Ahern said.
"It is not unusual for us to get 30 or 40 arriving in Rosslare from some port in Europe so when we open the truck to find the goods we find a few families in the back. That is putting pressure on the system." The Government's reason for looking at it now was to see - following totally the UN High Commissioner's rules - how they could deal with it.
The appeals system in Ireland worked on the basis that nobody really ever got deported, he stated. Of the first 12,000, about 27 were deported.
"In our system, everyone gets all the benefits, unlike your system or any other system in Europe. And, of course, good news travels fast and people hear about the good news and they turn up and that's putting pressure on us. That's the reason for the review," he added.
Asked what he thought of the chemical restraint of people who might prove difficult when held in detention, the Taoiseach replied: "Chemical restraint sounds a bit rough, doesn't it? I haven't seen that one."
Mr Ahern concluded that he got some advice from the Migrant Resource Centre in Sydney on Monday about the open policy of leaving asylum-seekers in the community. "I will certainly reflect on that because these people know what they are talking about," he said.
