A recipe for deportation

Despite protests from various organisations, including Amnesty International, the Anti-Racism Campaign, and Sinn Féin, the Dublin government still plans to proceed to push through the Immigration Bill before Leinster House breaks for the summer this Friday.

John O'Donogue, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, asserts that ``the new law will provide government with a solid legislative framework for the development and implementation of fair and sensible immigration policies to meet the changing needs of Irish society while at the same time respecting the rights of those lives affected.'' The minister added that the bill highlights what non-nationals ``can expect from the law and what the law expects from them''. The bill will establish in statutory form conditions whereby non-nationals can be deported at the behest of the minister.

Amnesty International, however, has expressed alarm at the unseemly speed of the bill's progress. Dr Colin Harvey, Amnesty's refugee coordinator, said: ``We are extremely concerned that the amendments do not reflect an unequivocal commitment to mainstream human rights and fairness in the refugee protection process. These amendments must be proofed against international standards which the state has committed itself to.''

Amnesty is concerned that refugee protection requires specific legal expertise. They are concerned that legal representatives dealing with such cases may not have sufficient expertise and of the lack of reference to legal aid, interpretation facilities, and provisions for children and unaccompanied minors in the bill..

Amnesty is concerned about the nature and composition of the Refugee Advisory Board and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. It says that the board and tribunal must be composed of individuals with knowledge and experience of human rights and refugee law and be guided by best international practice

The human rights organisation also says that the Refugee Commissioner must take a lead in mainstreaming human rights and fairness in the process.

Sinn Féin's Caoimhghín O'Caoláin, who will be opposing the legislation, described it as a deportation bill. ``The government seems more anxious that its proposed deportations of asylum-seekers should proceed than that a proper system of assessment, a fair hearing and fair living and working conditions for those seeking asylum should be put in place speedily. It does not deal with immigration and asylum issues but lays down conditions and mechanisms for expulsion of people from the state.

``We need a more open system which welcomes people to our shores, bringing with them skills to add to our workforce and culture to add to our diversity.'