Irish Cabinet ‘Fully in Favor’ of Retaining US Customs Pre-Clearance
Ireland’s cabinet is fully in favor of retaining U.S. customs pre-clearance arrangements at the country’s airports, Prime Minister Enda Kenny said on Tuesday, a day after calling for a review of the arrangements.
Ireland’s Dublin and Shannon airports are among a handful of locations outside North America where passengers can clear customs and immigration before traveling to the United States under an international agreement between the two governments.
Kenny has ordered a complete review of the arrangements following what the government described as the concern caused by President Donald Trump’s curbs on immigration that are being carried out by U.S. officials at the two airports.
“The cabinet this morning were very fully in favor of retaining our pre-clearance and the Attorney General has confirmed that the issue in so far as the legality is concerned is a matter entirely for the United States courts,” Kenny told parliament.
“In so far as Ireland is concerned, we are in compliance with human rights legislation and in accordance with our own constitution.”
There has so far been one case where a person was refused pre-clearance to the United States at either airport. Kenny said that person was working in Ireland and she was therefore entitled to remain in the country.
The Dutch government said on Tuesday it had ended talks with the United States over allowing pre-clearance of passengers traveling from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport following the Trump administration’s decision to ban travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
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