The Minister for Justice has announced plans for civilian staff at the Department of Justice to take over immigration control duties at Dublin Airport.
Detailing tasks that he plans to achieve in the immigration sector in 2012, Minister Alan Shatter said that he will “also be focusing on further reforms of the immigration system, such as the pilot project to civilianise certain immigration control functions at Dublin Airport to free up Garda resources for other operational duties.”
He said implementation of the pilot scheme at the nation’s main airport would start this month.
In a statement, the Department of Justice said that the move “will see departmental staff assigned to immigration control duties at the airport. These staff members will work in association with gardaí in performing this vital screening function.”
It added: “This project is set against a backdrop of reducing garda numbers, continued commitment to the civilianisation of appropriate tasks, and the need to look afresh at how public services are delivered.
“Currently, all immigration control duties at the airport are conducted by members of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).”
Solicitor Waheed Mudah told Metro Éireann that he is giving the change a cautious welcome.
“The sight of a member of the Garda at the entry point is not as welcoming as that of a civilianised immigration officer,” he said. “However, the overriding concern is that any immigration officer must be humane in their approach to visitors and respect them.
“It therefore behoves the minister to ensure that the civilian immigration officers receive adequate training before their deployment. Every step must be taken [to ensure] that their power is not susceptible to abuse.”
