Non-nationals face medical examinations under new laws

ALL non-nationals could be subjected to medical examinations when they arrive here, under drastic immigration laws to be pushed through by the Government.

Under the Immigration Bill 2004, inspectors will be able to board ships and planes to detain and examine any person arriving or leaving any port or airport.

The proposed legislation, to be published today, will also allow immigration officers to turn back disabled non-nationals and refuse permission for someone to land if they have been convicted of a crime in another jurisdiction.

In addition, it will be an offence for the owner of a household not to register with gardaí any non-nationals living there.

The new Bill, which is needed to replace sections of the 1999 Immigration Act which were ruled unconstitutional by the High Court last week, was last night severely criticised by opposition parties and civil rights groups.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) accused the Government of trying to retrospectively apply new restrictions, and impose quasi-criminal restrictions on immigrants lawfully residing in Ireland.

ICCL chief executive Ashling Reidy said: “This particular piece of legislation is riddled with abusive and punitive provisions, some of which are blatantly discriminatory.”

Although Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday told the Dáil the Government would publish and push through the new legislation today, the Government later backtracked under pressure from the opposition. The Bill will now be given more Dáil time next week.

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said pushing through the Bill was the wrong way to deal with a serious problem while Green Party justice spokesman Ciaran Cuffe said the Bill was flawed. “Under this Bill even Nelson Mandela could be refused access to Ireland,” he said.

A spokeswoman for Justice Minister Michael McDowell said most of the provisions in the Bill stemmed from the Aliens Order 1946 and were now simply being transposed into law.