Nigerian asylum-seekers face being deported back home due to migrant row with UK, Helen McEntee tells Cabinet

A senior government source said Ms McEntee told the meeting there has been an increase in the number of Nigerians coming to Ireland from the UK.

The minister said Nigerian international protection applicants now face being sent back to Nigeria, once their cases are heard by international protection officials, due to the recent High Court case which raised questions about returning asylum seekers to the UK.

Ms McEntee’s comments follow a diplomatic row over comments she made about at least 80pc of asylum-seekers arriving in Ireland from the UK across the Border.

UK prime minister Rishi Sunak said his government will not accept asylum seekers being returned from Ireland unless other parts of the EU accept returning migrants from his country.

The Minister told the meeting the fast processing times for safe countries has reduced the numbers of people coming to Ireland from those countries by 50pc.

Minister McEntee said Georgia was added to the safe countries list when it had the highest number of applicants. It’s now not in the top ten.

The meeting also heard legislation the cabinet approved to close the legal loophole following the high court ruling the UK was not a safe country would be passed through the House by June.

A High Court case recently ruled in favour of asylum-seekers who wanted to be prevent being returned to the UK as the country was not safe due to the forthcoming policy of sending unsuccessful international applicants to Rwanda.

Minister McEntee is drafting legislation with Attorney General Rossa Fanning to ensure migrants can be returned to the UK under a post-Brexit deal agreed by both governments.

However, Mr Sunak has insisted his government is under no legal obligation to accept asylum seekers from Ireland even if they have status in the UK.

Ms McEntee told the Cabinet sub-committee that asylum seekers who are being processed through the fast-track system, which includes Nigerians even though it is not designated ‘safe’ country, will be processed shortly and may be returned to their country origin, if their international protection application is rejected.

The Government recently decided to fast-track applications from countries with the majority of people arriving even if their home states are deemed unsafe. At present, the highest volume of asylum-seekers are from Nigeria.

The expedited process, which mostly deals with applicants from safe countries, means cases are decided on within three months and asylum-seekers are allowed stay or given deportation orders.

Asylum-seekers can appeal but the majority of decisions are upheld.

The Cabinet Sub Committee on Migration also decided extra resources will be made available to assist communities where asylum-seekers are being accommodated.

A senior official will also be appointed to the Department of Integration to coordinate the accommodation of migrants with communities. The Government is also working on a campaign to tackle disinformation.

The committee met after gardaí and other state agencies moved to clear a migrant encampment from outside the International Protection Office (IPO) on Mount Street in Dublin.

The Government is grappling with the immigration crisis which escalated in the last week following Ms McEntee’s comments about the Northern Ireland border.

On Wednesday, the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting heard calls from James O’Connor for the minister to address a meet and outline what she is doing to address the on going crisis.