EU Migration Pact “moving in right direction”, says Brophy

Fine Gael TD Colm Brophy has said that 100 days into the EU Migration Pact being implemented, the legislation is working.

Speaking at an EU conference in Malta, the Dublin South-West and junior immigration minister said “we are now approximately 100 days into implementation of the Pact, and while it is still early, the experience to date in Ireland demonstrates that the Pact is delivering a more efficient and effective asylum system.”

“My Department engaged in significant preparation prior to commencement to ensure readiness for the new timelines required under the Pact; that work is now paying off,” he said.

The Minister of State at the Department of Justice claimed that the Pact has “strengthened our ability to establish identity and assess vulnerabilities at an early stage.”

“Enhanced screening measures, improved document verification capabilities and more effective use of electronic evidence are supporting more robust and informed decision-making,” the Fine Gael TD said.

The legislation drew heavy criticism upon its passage in the summer, with Fine Gael’s grouping in the European Parliament, the European People’s Party, working with far-right parties in the European Parliament to pass the legislation.

Brophy stated that “access to rights and procedural safeguards remains essential,” and said that “high uptake of legal counselling and legal representation demonstrates that applicants are engaging with the system and that procedural guarantees are operating well.”

“We are seeing encouraging progress in decision-making, with over 800 first-instance decisions already issued and the first cohort of cases moving through the entire process from screening to final outcome. The median processing time to receive a first decision has come down to just 33 days,” he noted.

“The first 100 days suggest that the Pact is moving us in the right direction. The focus now should be on maintaining momentum, harnessing more technological solutions in the asylum system and continuing to work collaboratively with other Member States.”