Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 May 2024
128. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he continues to have engagements with UK authorities in relation to immigration issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21121/24]
View answerI co-chaired the most recent meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference alongside the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris in London on 29 April.
Although issues relating to immigration were not items on the formal agenda of this meeting, I had the opportunity to discuss the matter with the Secretary of State. We also discussed the issue in a constructive call on 1 May.
The Secretary of State and I are in full agreement on the importance of our governments continuing to work together at political and official level on the many operational aspects that safeguard the Common Travel Area. We also agree on the vital importance of protecting the open border on the island of Ireland, which is essential in facilitating the cross-border aspects of lives as envisioned by the Good Friday Agreement.
In my discussions with the British government, as with other international partners, I am clear that the challenges presented by migration cannot be effectively addressed by any state acting alone. I have seen first-hand as Minister for Foreign Affairs how people are driven to migrate by a multitude of complex and interlocking factors such as food insecurity, climate crises, and conflict. We must therefore ensure that we work together to address the complicated root causes of migration, while maintaining fair, sustainable and efficient asylum procedures, with full respect for fundamental human rights.
