A proposed Irish Government scheme to return asylum seekers to the UK has been shot down as the fallout over the British Government's Rwanda scheme grows.
The Republic of Ireland had been planning to push through emergency legislation this week to let it send back migrants to Northern Ireland - but UK Government sources have slammed the plan, insisting they would not agree to any deal unless the EU also agreed to let Britain do the same to 'small boats' migrants in the English Channel.
Ireland's justice minister, Helen McEntee, had raised concerns over a surge in asylum seekers across the Northern Irish border with over 80 per cent of those in the Republic now coming from the UK.
She called for "fast processing", adding: "My focus as minister for justice is making sure that we have an effective immigration structure and system."
Home Secretary James Cleverly had been set to meet Irish officials today to find a solution to the crisis at the border - but he then cancelled the meeting, citing a diary clash
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McEntee continued: "That's why I'll have emergency legislation at cabinet this week to make sure that we can effectively return people to the UK, and that's why I'll be meeting the Home Secretary to raise these issues on Monday."
But Home Secretary James Cleverly backed out of the meeting citing diary clashes - instead, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris will meet with Irish officials later today.
A UK Government source said: "We won't accept any asylum returns from the EU via Ireland until the EU accepts that we can send them back to France.
"We are fully focused on operationalising our Rwanda scheme and will continue working with the French to stop the boats from crossing the Channel."
LATEST ON THE MIGRANT CRISIS:
Taoiseach Simon Harris said Ireland "will not in any way, shape or form provide a loophole for anybody else's migration challenges"
PATory MP Sir John Redwood slammed the Irish plan, saying: "As Britain has always been told, we cannot send migrants back to France and so how on earth do they think they could send migrants back to the UK?
"Are they going to arrest these people and put them in handcuffs and take them in vans across the border, and then why wouldn't they just walk back again?"
Former Brexit Secretary David Davis said: "This is a Europe-wide issue and until Europe controls its borders then it's going to be difficult for any of their constituent countries to do it.
"But secondly, the issue they are facing has arisen directly as a result of their insistence on a so-called open border between the north and the south... Had they taken some of the other routes that I suggested, for one, then we would have a way of controlling it, but as it stands we don't."
Rishi Sunak told Sky News the situation on the Irish border proved the Rwanda scheme was "already having an impact because people are worried about coming here".
PABut Irish officials remained firm on pushing through their legislation; Taoiseach Simon Harris said: "Every country is entitled to have its own migration policy, but I certainly don't intend to allow anybody else's migration policy to affect the integrity of our own one.
"This country will not in any way, shape or form provide a loophole for anybody else's migration challenges - that's very clear.
"My colleague, the minister for justice, will now bring forward legislative proposals to the cabinet on Tuesday that will seek to put in place a new returns policy.
"We're going to await the full details of that but it's one which will effectively allow, again, people to be returned to the United Kingdom. And I think that's quite appropriate. It was always the intention."
Harris's deputy, Micheal Martin, slated the UK's Rwanda plan, claiming that migrants are leaving the UK because they are "fearful" of being sent to Africa.
But Rishi Sunak has told Sky News the situation on the Irish border proved the scheme was "already having an impact because people are worried about coming here".