Ireland will need to give asylum to those fleeing climate change, Roderic O'Gorman says

A 2004 photo of Tarawa atoll in Kiribati whose citizens are moving to higher Pacific islands such as Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji — now Fiji itself is relocating coastal villages ahead of rising seas. Picture: Richard Vogel/AP

The asylum system will have to be expanded to include a new category for people fleeing the effects of climate change, the Integration Minister has said.

Roderic O’Gorman also believes the visa system should be widened to allow more economic migrants into this country in the coming years to fill positions where there are currently skills shortages.