Ireland Prefers Paying Contribution Instead of Accepting EU Refugees
According to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Ireland cannot accept any more refugees and would rather provide financial aid.
Contribute Financially Rather Than Accommodate EU Refugees
Under the new EU deal, Ireland may contribute financially to other countries instead of accepting additional migrants. The agreement will provide financial assistance to countries with massive numbers of irregular migrants. Additionally, the funds will help process asylum claims or admit migrants themselves.
The bargain aims to share the burden of migration throughout the entire EU with prime states.
“I think from Ireland’s point of view, it wouldn’t really be a case of taking a quota of refugees. We’ve accepted a huge number of people in the last year or two, maybe 100,000 people from Ukraine and other parts of the world, so we’re in a different place as a country now, really struggling to accommodate the numbers that we have,” said Varadkar.
In the summer, the Cabinet agreed to contribute €1.5 million to the EU. It’s because they cannot provide shelter for the 350 asylum seekers under its engagements as part of an EU Voluntary Solidarity Mechanism.
While attending the European Political Community convention in Granada, Spain, he restated his support for EU enlargement. He recognised accepting countries like Moldova and Ukraine would be costly and would necessitate EU institutions’ reforms.
The Taoiseach claimed that at the moment, the country has accommodated 100,000 people from Ukraine and other parts of the world in the last two years. They’re not in a position to welcome more voluntary transfers, except if they can get on top of the amenity situation.
Suggested Amount Per Declined Asylum Seekers
During the negotiations, diplomats debated about what should be the financial contributions of member states that would not accept asylum seekers. The proposal comes to between €10,000 and €22,000 that countries could pay for each asylum seeker they refuse to accept. The number of migrants would vary based on future entries to frontline states.
“Enlargement is always good for Europe. It helps to provide us with security, helps to embed democracy and human rights, and also helps the European economy to grow in the round,” said the Taoiseach.
He anticipated that national assistance to the EU budget should increase to maintain CAP payments during enlargement.
Asylum Seeker Versus Refugee
An asylum seeker is an individual seeking protection as a refugee outside his or her country of origin and waits for the determination of his or her status. Once given refugee, that person is an asylum seeker no more.
He or she can have subsidiary protection who wasn’t recognised as a refugee through the asylum process but is acknowledged to need international protection.
A refugee, on the other hand, is a person who needs to leave his or her country due to reasonable fear of oppression. Reasons involve race, religion, nationality, or membership of a specific social group or political opinion.
