Ought not the “land of a thousand welcomes” exercise more compassion towards those ‘flocking’ to our great shores in search of a better quality of life?

Having worked as an immigration lawyer since 2003, it is my view that in recent years Ireland, through statutory laws, has moved from a “if you don’t tell us exactly how you got here, your credibility is significantly undermined and we are sceptical about anything you tell us” (cf. section 11(b) of the Refugee Act 1996) approach to a fairer “if you are a genuine refugee fleeing persecution and in genuine need of international protection, Ireland will welcome you (regardless of whether you disclose your actual route here)” approach.

Of course, this may be a grossly simplified interpretation of recent Irish statutory law but, in my view, it’s a largely accurate description of this State’s recent approach to the implementation of international immigration and humanitarian laws.

Under the provisions of the 1996 Act, ‘credibility’ was of paramount importance and many appeal cases — and possibly first instance applications too — failed to succeed on the basis that the applicant/appellant did not reveal a true and honest account of how they actually got to Ireland.

Arguably, this was a rather harsh and flawed approach, as most applicants/appellants simply won’t or can’t reveal their exact travel route. The very nature of a migrant’s plight may result in them taking whatever means possible to flee from their home country despite the serious risks involved.

Undeniably there’s a thriving business in people trafficking worldwide, of which some instances end in horrendous tragedy for those fleeing their home countries. A more compassionate approach would be to accept that some people do make life-threatening travel choices to escape impoverished lives, even though they may not be actually fleeing persecution.

Who can ever forget the image of the little Syrian child washed up on beach due to a failed migration attempt? The very image shocked and stunned the world and prompted our own Donncha O’Callaghan, a father himself, to engage in valuable charitable work as a UNICEF ambassador.

Whilst many immigrants may in fact be ‘economic migrants’, surely this doesn’t automatically mean they ought to be turned away at our borders?

Under current Irish law there is a fair, impartial and just system to assess whether an applicant is genuinely entitled to refugee status, but the process is generally slow-moving and hugely under-resourced — but then, so is our health system and our government’s attempts at resolving the housing crisis.

Let’s just adopt a more compassionate and practical approach to the asylum process — have a little faith in it, even? The process is slow, but it is fair, impartial and just, albeit overwhelmingly under-resourced.

Nuala Dockry BL