Government publishes Bill to tighten immigration laws

The Government has today published controversial new legislation aimed at tightening Ireland's laws on immigration and asylum.

Under the proposed Immigration Bill, the State would have increased power to control access to Ireland by foreign nationals and to track their movements within the country.

The legislation would also make it easier for the Government to deport illegal immigrants immediately.

At present, they are entitled to 15 days' notice of deportation.

Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan says such changes are needed because, he claims, it is very easy to evade deportation from Ireland.

"This is landmark legislation," said Leinhan. "It gives us a unified code of immigration law that will enable us to manage non-EU inward migration and complements the existing law governing the free movement of EU citizens.

"It brings together into one process the business of determining whether a person who claims refugee status will be permitted to stay in the State.

"It also puts on a statutory footing a new status of long-term residence, as an acknowledgment of the contribution that many migrants make to their adopted society."

The Migrants Right Centre has criticised the proposed Bill, however.

Siobhan O'Donoghue, the director of the Migrants Rights Centre, says the proposed legislation is seriously flawed.

"In Ireland we value fairness, transparency and due process," she said. "The Immigration Bill in its current form seriously lacks these basic principles and major changes in the Bill are needed to get this right now in order to meet everyone’s interests."

"For example, I think the Irish public would be shocked to learn the unchecked powers and discretion the Bill gives the Minister and the Gardaí.

"We know from our history the dangers of giving too much power or discretion to any one person or group. According to the Bill, the Minister has the power to summarily deport a person from Ireland without any right to appeal and that is shocking."

She says major changes in the bill are needed in order to ensure that immigration reform is done correctly.