Tent Ban | 

Asylum-seekers who commit crimes while awaiting decision should be immediately deported, says report

The report also called for legislation to be introduced to make it a criminal offence to destroy a passport when entering the country and seeking international protection.

Philip Ryan

Today at 07:46

Asylum-seekers who commit a ­serious crime while awaiting decisions on their international protection applications should be immediately deported, according an internal Fianna Fáil policy document on immigration.

The report also called for legislation to be introduced to make it a criminal offence to destroy a passport when entering the country and seeking international protection.

It also called for “significantly increased fines” for airlines and ferries that fail to ensure passengers have a valid passport when they arrive in Ireland.

The document, prepared by Fianna Fáil TD John Lahart on behalf of his party, also said migrant tent encampments should be banned and a government agency should be tasked with ensuring they do not appear on streets.

The Fianna Fáil document emerged after a week in which the European Parliament voted to approve the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum which includes controversial measures such as the possibility of facial images and fingerprints being taken from children from the age of six, and that asylum-seekers may be detained during screening.

It also includes measures on faster decision-making and the sharing of responsibility across member states which could see relocation of international protection applicants or the payment of financial contributions to the EU instead of countries taking in asylum-seekers themselves.

The report said the Government should not enter into contracts with hotels or nursing homes to accommodate asylum-seekers if the properties are providing an essential community service.

It also said the Coalition should clamp down on “profiteering” by emergency accommodation providers who are housing international protection applicants.

It highlighted the concerns of party members over the “substantial decline” in tourism trade due to the closure of hotels and other venues

Mr Lahart drafted the report ­following two lengthy parliamentary party meetings on the topic of immigration in February. The document contains comments and suggestions from TDs and senators who attended those meetings while others contributed to the report in recent weeks.

The document noted Ireland has a “strong and proud tradition of ­offering a warm welcome” to visitors and a “deep historic connection and understanding” of the plight of people fleeing famine, persecution and economic disaster.

One member said “minor issues” such as school transportation can “cause a lot of tension” in some communities. “When local families see their own children refused a ticket on their school route due to it being at capacity, and yet they see Ukrainian children getting access to the school bus,” the person said. ​

Another said: “Housing is another obvious example, where we saw (some) rapid-build modular houses being provided for Ukrainian families but those waiting on housing lists for one- or two-bedroom bungalow properties are still waiting and cannot understand why a similar method cannot be followed to provide them with a home.”

There were 13,000 asylum applications in Ireland last year, a 415pc increase compared with 2022. Some 60pc of applications were refused last year.

Amid the housing crisis, latest figures show 1,700 asylum-seekers are now without accommodation.