WATCH: We ask the people of Dublin should there be a checkpoint for refugees entering Ireland through Northern Ireland

The Irish Mirror has hit the streets of Dublin to ask people about the need for checkpoints between Ireland and Northern Ireland after it was revealed that over 80 per cent of those seeking asylum enter the country via that border.

Speaking at the Oireachtas Justice Committee on Tuesday, Justice Minister Helen McEntee shared that the number was higher than 80 per cent while responding to a question from Fianna Fáil Senator Robbie Gallagher.

The minister explained that nearly 5,000 people have applied for asylum in Ireland so far this year, with more than half of those coming through another country in what are known as secondary movements.

READ MORE: Watch: Asylum seekers in 'Tent City' - living on the street in Dublin - tell us "we need to start a life"

Minister Helen McEntee explained that a large amount of these applicants have come via the border with Northern Ireland, more than 80 per cent, but that Ireland was engaging with UK authorities regularly on the matter.

It comes as McEntee introduced new measures to the cabinet to speed up international protection application processing times.

With news that a large portion of asylum applicants enter Ireland through the border with Northern Ireland, the Irish Mirror headed to the streets of Dublin to ask people if there is a need for checkpoints between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Speaking to the Irish Mirror, one man said that the government should not bring people into the country if they do not have the facilities to accommodate them and afford them “basic human decency”.

“I don’t think it’s a major issue at the moment,” one man told the Irish Mirror. “Obviously, there needs to be change. The problem is we have free movement for Irish people between ourselves and the north.

“But that's only open to people who have Irish passports. You can't have a country where it's an open-door policy for people to come in.”

He added: “It's disgraceful to allow to bring people in from abroad, refugees, and to not have accommodation, just have the basic human dignity to help anybody, it doesn't matter what country you're from.

“You have to have that basic human decency to put them into proper accommodation. I mean, we are brought up as human beings. The government should be ashamed of themselves, I don't know whether they're trying to impress people in Europe, but you can't bring people into the country but you don't have the facilities.”

A second man that the Irish Mirror spoke to suggested that there should be checkpoints going from Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland.

“There should be checkpoints, they should be vetted,” he said. “If I go anywhere in the world, I have to bring a passport.

“Over here, you don’t need a passport. There is chaos going on in the world. Why wouldn’t they come over here if they are coming from war-torn countries, and that’s getting abused but like no papers?

“You need papers going in somewhere. That is just a common fact, you have to have papers. Because as I said, you don’t know what's coming in. I’m not racist, nothing against people, against the ones that come in with documentation.

“But the ones without, it's just not right. It’s the government giving people false promises.”

Do you think there should be a checkpoint for refugees coming into Ireland from Belfast? Let us know in the comments below.

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