Ireland is planning to end visa-free travel from South Africa in an attempt to reduce the number of people applying for international protection and asylum.
The ministers of the country are expected to discuss the ending of the scheme soon, and then the government will take measures to tighten immigration to the country, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
As the Irish Times explains, Ireland’s plan to end visa-free travel for South Africa comes following warnings that nationals of Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo are using the South African passport to travel to the country.
Data from the Irish Department of Justice show that a total of 198 people who arrived in Ireland on South African passports are currently undergoing processing. Such a number represents more than three per cent of the total number of applicants so far this year.
Commenting on the situation, Taoiseach Simon Harris said for a Dáil committee that the government wants to introduce measures aimed at curbing…