Letters

Ireland’s capacity to control migration is broken

If the present situation is allowed to continue, nothing but trouble awaits

Letters to the Editor. Illustration: Paul Scott

The Irish Times - Letters to the Editor.

Thu May 9 2024 - 00:10

Sir, – The meandering column of Fintan O’Toole, in which he avoided mentioning international protection or asylum, outlines the many problems linked to people illegally entering the State via the Border but is remarkably quiet on possible solutions (“A hard Border is now a patriotic cause – and we laughed at the British for that kind of nonsense”, Opinion & Analysis, May 7th).

He is also quiet on the possibility that more of the 700,000 plus people illegally in the UK may head our way to avail of our dysfunctional asylum process that still struggles to produce any reliable statistics on what it is doing.

As I write this, the International Protection Office website still does not have the March application figures published, which just about sums up the dearth of information available. – Yours, etc,

MICHAEL FLYNN,

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Bayside,

Dublin 13.

Sir, – While advising against gifts to the “Ireland is full” mob, Fintan O’Toole unconsciously does just that himself. There were presumably 43 million crossings of the Irish Border by private vehicles in 2016 and not, as he states, 43 million private vehicles crossing the Border. If the latter figure were true then Ireland would certainly be quite full. – Yours, etc,

KEVIN O’SULLIVAN,

Letterkenny,

Co Donegal.

Sir, – A sincere thanks to Michael McDowell for his column “Ireland’s capacity to control migration in a policy-driven, sustainable way is broken” (Opinion & Analysis, May 8th)

He has articulated powerfully the views of most of the ordinary hardworking citizens of this country.

Politicians need to take note and cease hiding behind EU agreements.

If the present situation is allowed to continue, nothing but trouble awaits. – Yours, etc,

JM NOLAN,

Dublin 3.

A chara, – Transfer the International Protection Office to a rail-served town such as Mullingar. Progress decentralisation, and divert tentification. – Yours, etc,

TERRY O’BRIEN,

Portstewart,

Co Derry.

Sir, – It is time for Ireland to implement the Australian government’s model for asylum seekers (“Asylum seekers pitch tents along Dublin’s Grand Canal”, News, May 5th). Under the Australian Migration Act, asylum seekers who arrive in Australia without a valid visa are held in immigration detention until they are granted a visa or removed from Australia. Ireland should follow suit and quickly build a detention centre in a low-cost location. Immigration officials could visit the asylum seekers there to conveniently process applications for asylum, rather than vice versa at present.

Such a centre would act as a deterrent to those who come to Ireland from countries such as Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt and Pakistan, where there is no war, civil unrest or peril – these arrivals are more likely economic migrants rather than asylum seekers. – Yours, etc,

PAUL KILDUFF,

Glenageary,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – “Anti-immigration protesters met by counter-demonstration” (News, May 7th) caught my eye.

The initial paragraph told us: “Several hundred people marched through Dublin City yesterday in a rally organised by anti-immigration campaigners.”

The concluding paragraph informed us: “It took about 45 minutes for the entire crowd to pass through O’Connell Street, which caused significant traffic disruption.”

I was amazed how the volume of the attendance mushroomed so dramatically between your first and final paragraphs. – Yours, etc,

TIM O’SULLIVAN,

Dublin 9.

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