Since he took office last month, the Minister for Justice, Mr Michael McDowell, has sent clear signals of his intolerance to illegal immigration, trafficking in human beings and abuses of the asylum system. His words were translated into actions last week when some 200 gardai in Dublin carried out arrests of undocumented migrants and failed asylum-seekers with deportation orders outstanding against them.
Groups working with asylum-seekers and other immigrants say large-scale actions like Operation Hyphen stigmatise all immigrants and instill fear into an already vulnerable population. The Garda needs to get the message out that illegal immigration will not be tolerated, but this should not be at the expense of alienating entire sections of the community.
Sovereign states have a duty to control the movement of people across their borders. But it is vital to strike a balance between controlling human trafficking and illegal immigration while ensuring access to the State for those in need of protection. Policy makers must also be sensitive to the knock-on effect of fortress-type policies, which will only drive desperate migrants further into the hands of traffickers who will exploit them. Ultimately, any efforts to tackle clandestine immigration will, by definition, be flawed unless the underlying factors driving the trade in human cargo are addressed.
The Minister is right to make the point that eight out of ten foreigners on our streets are here legally to work or study. But it must also be stressed that asylum-seekers are also here legally and are entitled to due process in determination of their claims for refugee status. State policies which focus exclusively on security issues or the demands of the labour market but ignore the humanitarian factors involved in immigration will inevitably fail.
While significant progress has been made in recent years in speeding up the processing of asylum applications, work permits and visas, there is still room for improvement. Ireland's schemes for immigration for work and study purposes are far from comprehensive although there are ongoing efforts aimed at counteracting abuse and protecting employees. Legislation in this area is expected later this year.
The government has commissioned the International Organisation for Migration to conduct research on best practice on immigration worldwide. A future Immigration and Residence Bill, to replace the Aliens Act 1935, will set out procedures for those applying for visas and residence permits here. Hopefully, this will inform a holistic future immigration policy which takes adequate account of migrants' needs.
Thankfully, Ireland is a largely welcoming country, but it has been painfully slow to adapt to ethnic diversity and successive studies show that racism is a real evil. Migrants can make an important contribution to society on all levels, not just as fuel for the economy.