Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the Government will need to push back on “far-right myths” about migration in 2024.
Mr Varadkar said a “small minority” of migrants have abused the Irish immigration system but added that the “vast majority” had made positive contributions to the country.
“We have a big job to do, I think, as a Government to talk straight, to be more honest with people and explain to them how migration works, because a lot of the kind of far-right myths are gaining traction.”
For example, he said it was “absurd” to suggest Ireland had open borders, adding: “We have an open border with Northern Ireland only, we’ve no other open border.”
Mr Varadkar said: “The idea that Ireland is somehow a soft touch, that’s nonsense.
“When it comes to international protection, the number of arrivals is about the EU average for the last two years and was well below the EU average for the preceding years.”
He said Ireland has a rules-based system and the vast majority of people coming from outside of Europe arrive with a student or work visa, adding: “They’re making huge contributions to our economy and our society and I think we’re a better country for it.
“And I think we’ve allowed, and I take some responsibility for this, people to believe that the story of migration to Ireland is largely about Ukraine or international protection when it isn’t.”
“I think it’s going to be the big issue in 2024 we’re going to have to push back against that as a Government.”
The Taoiseach said that the international protection system is the area of greatest controversy but said Government is making sure applications are being processed more quickly with faster decisions.
“Where somebody is refused the right to stay here or breaches the terms of their visa there are deportation orders.
“I think this year 700 or 800 deportation orders have been signed and that’s quite a large number.”
“Most of those people will leave voluntarily, but some have to be removed from the State as well.
“So they’re the kind of things that we’re doing.”
Mr Varadkar said one far-right myth that has gained the most traction is that international-protection applicants are not vetted.
He said applicants have always been registered, photographed, and fingerprinted and their information has been checked against European watchlists, adding that the checks had sometimes been criticised as “demeaning”.
“So, all that is done, and maybe we were afraid to talk about that in the past because people might have accused us of being hardline or are engaging in anti-immigrant rhetoric, but I think in order to secure ongoing public support for migration, which we need, we’re going to need to reassure people, that there are rules and our system is rules based, and those rules are enforced and they are to be respected.
“And just as there are people who abuse our tax system, tax dodgers, just as there are people who abuse our welfare system, welfare cheats, there will be people who abuse our migration system that need to be dealt with.
“But they’re not the majority of migrants, they are a pretty small minority of migrants and I think we just need to explain that a bit better.”
Having recently attended a citizenship ceremony in the Convention Centre, Mr Varadkar said the “real story of migration into Ireland” is people making a real contribution to society, working, paying tax and becoming homeowners.