Ireland Plans to Curtail Asylum Seeker Arrivals
During an appearance on a podcast, O'Callaghan characterized last year's asylum arrivals—18,500 individuals—as "exceptionally high" and emphasized the urgent need for reduction.
"But I have to be frank about it as well. Like, it's a fine aspiration to say ... we can welcome into Ireland everyone who wants to claim asylum. I can't. That's not realistic," he stated.
"And I have to be careful that the numbers, which were exceptionally high last year − 18,500 people arrived last year − that those numbers are reduced, as otherwise, we will have a breakdown in social cohesion. We will have tents on the streets. I know there are some, but we'll have too many tents in the streets, and it'll look like a system that the government is not in control of," O'Callaghan warned.
The minister refused to establish specific numerical targets for acceptable asylum applications, declaring: "I'm not setting any numbers as a goal to get asylum figures down to."
O'Callaghan maintained that asylum procedures should function "for the benefit of people who are fleeing persecution and war," clarifying: "Those who want to come here to work have another method of applying, which is through the work permit application."
The justice chief also signaled potential restrictions on international students entering Ireland for English language instruction. Authorities granted entry to 60,000 students last year.
"It's very legitimate that people are coming here to learn English," O'Callaghan acknowledged, while cautioning that the framework has become "as a mechanism to come in to work."
O'Callaghan identified Ireland's annual population expansion rate of 1.6% as unsustainable, asserting it imposes "huge pressures" on public infrastructure and services.
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