Immigration plan includes enhanced screening and timeframe for asylum applications

James Cox

A plan will be brought to Cabinet today for Ireland to opt into the EU Asylum and Migration pact.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee is set to propose the move, which would mean the State would commit to enhanced screening checks and a legally binding timeframe for application decisions.

A separate plan to stop relying on private providers for refugee accommodation will also be discussed this morning.

Enda O'Neill, head of the UN Refugee Agency in Ireland, said opting in to the EU pact would bring a number of changes to the system.

Mr O'Neill told Newstalk: "A more comprehensive screening of people when they arrive in the territory first, identity checks, security checks, vulnerability checks, health and other assessments.

"The Eurodac system that involves fingerprinting and registration, there's some additions to that expanding the types of information collected and also providing access to law enforcement."

The accommodation plan would mean a town's "last hotel" wouldn't be used to house asylum seekers with the Government using State-run accommodation instead.

Speaking on her way into Cabinet, Ms McEntee said this system would make the process quicker and safer.

"If somebody arrives, and say for example, they don't have documentation, they've gotten rid of their documentation, or they've crossed a border illegally, and that comes up on our system; they will be put into a processing time much quicker.

"They will be put into a system where their first decision and their appeals decision will have to be turned around in a mandatory timeframe... and if they have a negative decision, they will be returned home."