Government policy should make sure that Ireland is not seen as excessively easy to get into for migrants and asylum seekers, according to Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European Affairs.
Speaking in Spain, Mr Byrne said it was important to make sure economic migrants were not using the international protection mechanism to enter the country and that Government measures in this area would be effective.
The migration issue will be a priority for the Irish presidency of the EU Council, which begins in July 2026, he said.
“Economic migrants are coming in [to Ireland] through the usual channels for that purpose. I’m not saying it’s less of a concern, but there is a process to deal with that in terms of where skills are needed in the economy, where workers are needed,” Mr Byrne told The Irish Times.
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“That’s certainly something that the State needs. But if people are applying for international protection, then they should be coming under the conditions of the Geneva Convention, and that’s not happening in all cases and that’s not the reason people are coming in all cases.”
Mr Byrne made the comments during a visit to Madrid, where the 90th anniversary of Irish-Spanish diplomatic relations is being marked.
The Government has been considering new measures in this area, such as accommodation charges for international protection applicants who have permission to work.
Eight thousand such applicants could be liable for charges that would range from €15 to €238 per week, depending on earnings.
Mr Byrne described the approach to this issue by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan as “very assertive in trying to make sure that we have a fair migration system”. He added that “we definitely want to make sure that we’re not seen as the easy place to get into because that damages our credibility as well within the European Union”.
On Tuesday, there was a reception in the residence of the Irish Ambassador to Spain, Brian Glynn. The close ties between the two countries were very much in evidence, as the Ambassador gave a speech in Spanish and Irish and guests drank cava and stout.
Mr Byrne’s Spanish counterpart, Fernando Sampedro, also spoke at the event, highlighting the “shared priorities, the shared perspective and strong mutual understanding” between Ireland and Spain. He cited the many facets of the bilateral relationship, ranging from trade and investment to cultural exchanges and tourism – with 2.8 million Irish visits to Spain last year.
There has also been a shared sense of priorities on the international stage: last year, in a co-ordinated move, the two countries, along with Norway, formalised their recognition of a Palestinian state.
However, Spain’s left-wing coalition government has been taking what seems to be a much laxer approach to immigration than most EU countries, including Ireland. Yet, Mr Byrne said there was plenty to admire in Spain’s presidency of the EU in the second half of 2023.
“They definitely got a lot done,” he said. “The migration package was put through at that point, Ukraine’s EU accession [negotiations began], some of the big moments actually happened during that presidency, so they’ve got a good reputation ... We will look to what they achieved and what they did.”
He pointed to what will be “a very active Irish presidency” on the migration issue.
Mr Byrne also said the bloc’s enlargement will be a big priority for the Irish presidency, including making progress with Ukraine’s accession, concluding negotiations with Montenegro and “moving very significantly forward” with Albania’s candidacy.
