Immigration Policy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 October 2016

Tuesday, 25 October 2016

Questions (37, 41, 43)

Gino Kenny

Question:

37. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the destruction of the refugee camp at Calais; if he has made inquiries regarding the health and safety of the more than 10,000 adults and children living there; if he will advocate for the safety of the residents by strongly protesting at any attempts by the French authorities to forcibly move residents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30269/16]

Mick Wallace

Question:

41. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 163 of 5 October 2016, if he is satisfied that the resettlement of persons from the Calais refugee camp is, in his own words, a matter for France in the first instance, or if he will consider taking a more active role in assisting with the resettlement of unaccompanied minors here; if he has raised any concerns at EU level regarding deals currently being pursued by the EU with third countries to stem the flow of migrants to Europe, particularly in cases in which the third countries have poor human rights records; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31814/16]

Mick Wallace

Question:

43. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 163 of 5 October 2016, if he has to date raised any concerns, either bilaterally with his counterpart in France or at EU level, regarding the expected dismantling of the Calais refugee camp; if he will consider opening a temporary consulate in Calais staffed with persons from his Department and the Department of Justice and Equality who could work specifically with unaccompanied minors to provide information on Ireland as a destination and assistance on obtaining visas to allow them to travel here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31813/16]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

I propose to take Questions Nos. 37, 41 and 43 together.

I am of course aware of recent developments surrounding the refugee camp at Calais, and in particular the plight of unaccompanied minors living there.

The camp at Calais does not fall under the EU relocation or resettlement decisions that Ireland has opted into and therefore the people in Calais are not eligible for the Irish Refugee Protection Programme, because they are under the jurisdiction of the French authorities and have the right to apply for international protection in France. The French authorities have recently announced that they will close the unofficial migrant camp in Calais by the end of this year and will move the approximately 9,000 inhabitants to new accommodation in reception centres across the country. This is being done to protect the security of the people of Calais, to maintain public order and to ensure dignified conditions for the migrants and refugees currently living in the Calais camp, including unaccompanied minors. President Hollande has said that the objectives of these actions are to “guarantee the security of the people of Calais, to maintain public order and to ensure for the migrants and refugees that conditions are dignified”.

I have confidence in the French authorities' abilities to deal with this situation. I have no plans to establish a temporary consulate in Calais.

In relation to the Irish Refugee Protection Programme, the Government Decision to establish the programme recognised the importance of prioritising family groups and in addressing the position of unaccompanied children. A significant number of those who have arrived to date under both the resettlement and relocation elements of the programme are children with one or two parents. When we talk about the Irish Refugee Protection Programme we are referring to relocation from Italy and Greece and resettlement under the UNHCR-led programme which is currently focused on resettling refugees from camps in Lebanon.

Issues related to the settlement of unaccompanied minors and other foreign nationals in Ireland are matters for my colleague the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality.