The Department of Justice in Ireland has clarified that gardaí (police officers) will not conduct direct checks at the Northern Ireland border amidst a mounting row with the UK over refugee arrivals. Despite earlier announcements of 100 Garda officers being allocated to immigration issues, the department emphasized they won’t be assigned to border inspections. Furthermore, deployment of these officers could take up to a year.
Tensions escalated when the UK Parliament passed legislation to divert illegal immigrants to Rwanda, alleging they arrive via Northern Ireland. Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris asserted Ireland’s unpreparedness to handle UK immigration matters. Justice Minister Helen McEntick urged the UK to enact a law for deporting illegal immigrants to Ireland, a proposal the UK has rebuffed, refusing to accept the migrants. Talks between the nations on the issue have been postponed indefinitely.