Vol. 482 No. 3
306 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of applications for asylum which have been refused for each of the past three years and to date in 1997; and the actions, if any, which have been taken by his Department to repatriate those unsuccessful applicants. [17765/97]
The number of applicants for refugee status who have not been recognised in accordance with the provisions of the 1951 UN Convention relating to the status of refugees in each of the last three years, and to date in 1997, is as follows: 1994, 27; 1995, 43; 1996, 32; 1997 (to 31 October), 304.
In this same period 138 persons who were refused recognition as refugees were granted leave to remain in the State. Appeals have been lodged in many of the remaining cases. However, arising from High Court proceedings such appeals were effectively suspended from November 1994 until the summer of 1997. While appeal hearings resumed in August of this year, none have been finalised as yet.
Persons who have not been recognised as refugees, or who have no other good reason for being in the State, are required to leave. To date, 74 such persons have been asked to leave the State. One person has left voluntarily and those persons who did not comply with the request to leave have been deported. The remaining cases are being processed in accordance with the relevant deportation procedures.
