Statement by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee on EU General Agreement on Migration and Asylum

"I welcome the agreement reached at the Justice and Home Affairs Council on two key measures which are aimed at creating a fairer, more efficient, and more sustainable migration and asylum system across the EU Member States. Negotiations of those measures can now begin with the European Parliament before they are finalised and I hope they can be adopted next year.

"Progress on these measures brings us a step closer to implementing key reforms of the EU migration and asylum system. The reforms envisaged will provide for a comprehensive framework on migration bringing together policy in the areas of migration, asylum, integration and border management. The agreement represents solidarity among member states, whether it’s through relocations, financial contributions or other supports.

"The agreement places stronger obligations on Member States to implement mandatory asylum and return border procedures for certain applicants, such as those without documentation, those from countries who have low recognition rates and those who may pose a security risk. There will also be an obligation on Member States to have adequate capacity to deal with this new border process, and to make asylum and return decisions quickly with full respect for the rights of applicants. The Regulation sets out clear obligations for applicants to cooperate with the authorities throughout the procedure, which is aimed at preventing abuse of the system. There will also be simpler, more streamlined rules on the Dublin procedure so that it will be easier to identify and return applicants to the responsible Member State under that system.

"The measures have to be finalised and adopted at EU level but they represent a significant step. We will continue to contribute to the negotiations over the coming months and will examine the issues carefully so that Government can make an informed decision on participation in the future.

"I would like to particularly acknowledge the work of my officials in Dublin and the Permanent Representative to the European Union, who have contributed to the reaching of this agreement after lengthy negotiations. I would also like to thank Minister of State James Browne who led the Irish delegation at the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg this week."