The benefits of EU free travel rules “outweigh the disadvantages,” Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.
Speaking in the Dáil today about Ireland’s migration policy, the Taoiseach said that it’s difficult to be “clear” on the issue of immigration, “because this isn’t a straightforward thing.”
“There are different types of migration and different types of migrants,” Varadkar said.
“The situation is that anybody who is a UK or Irish citizen has a right to live in this country. Anybody who is an EU or a citizen has a right to live, work, study and do business in this country just as we can in all of their countries too. And that’s what it means to be part of the European Union.”
He added: “I think the advantages of that outweigh the disadvantages manifold. And people have voted that way in referendums on many occasions.”
The Taoiseach said that when it comes to non-UK and non-EU migrants, they “they require a visa” to enter the country.
“That might be a work visa, might be a student visa, might be a work permit,” he said.
“And of course, vetting occurs in those instances.”
He said that separately to this, those who arrive from Ukraine under the Temporary Protection Directive “have a right to be here under European law.”
“We do our best to accommodate them as best we can, and the right to work and study too.”
He then went on to describe “people who arrive in irregular manner” – i.e. not through legal channels.
“Under international law, just as is the case in Italy and in Britain and in France and in America, they can apply for protection,” he said.
“And our job is to assess their application as quickly as possible, give them legal status if they’re entitled to it, if they’re not to issue a deportation order and ensure that’s enforced. That is our migration policy. And I know it’s not simple.
“I know it’s not straightforward, but it can’t be because life isn’t straightforward in the world. It’s not straightforward. And there are different people coming from different countries for different reasons. But that is the policy that we have.”