Fianna Fáil MEP: EU rhetoric on asylum-seekers 'is solely the narrative of the far right'

The rhetoric emerging from a European Union summit on migration is "solely the narrative of the far right", a Fianna Fáil MEP has claimed.

MEP Barry Andrews made the comments as EU leaders met in Brussels to discuss rising immigration to the bloc.

"What I'm hearing from the European Council is solely the narrative of the far right," Mr Andrews said.

"Strengthen the borders, no more search and rescue, nothing about pushbacks — and that has to be balanced with a humanitarian view.

"That's why I find it disappointing, what I'm hearing at the moment," he said.

Mr Andrews was speaking after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said on Thursday that Ireland should be "fair, firm and hard" on migration, and that the EU should secure its borders so that human traffickers do not decide who enters Europe.

Mr Varadkar made the comments in Brussels ahead of a meeting of EU leaders with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy after he addressed the European Parliament and met with British prime minister Rishi Sunak in London on Wednesday.

“Just like Ireland, European countries are experiencing a big increase in the number of people coming from outside Europe on an irregular basis and we have to work together to manage that issue as best we can,” he told reporters.

“One of the issues we’re discussing is how we can better secure our external borders around Europe. Because it’s important that we as Europeans decide who enters our countries, not the human traffickers. They shouldn’t decide who comes through the borders.

“The other issue we’re going to discuss is the issue of returns. Lots of people who come into Europe gain refugee status and the right to remain – but others don’t and have to be returned."

He added: “I think, when it comes to migration, we need to be fair and firm and hard. We need to be fair with refugees because refugees are welcome in Ireland and people who need our protection should get it.

“We also need to be firm with people who come to Ireland with a false story or false pretences, we need to be firm with them and say that we are going to make a quick decision on your application and we will return you to your country of origin and people expect that."