Officials of my Department attend meetings of Council of Europe committees where asylum and migration issues are discussed. The Department has access to all Council of Europe documentation in these areas and other areas, e.g., human rights, as appropriate.
As the situation in the country of origin of asylum seekers is a most important factor in the determination process, it is essential that such information is researched in detail. For this purpose, my Department obtains information from, inter alia, the UNHCR, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Amnesty International reports, the media and other EU member states.
An applicant for refugee status must establish a well-founded fear of persecution and where it is established that such a fear exists the applicant will be granted refugee status. Each application is individually examined and it is only after such examination is completed that a decision on its well-foundedness can be taken.
My Department accepts applications for refugee status from persons of many different countries of origin. All these applications are examined in accordance with the terms of the Dublin Convention to determine if Ireland is the appropriate State to consider the applications. Following this examination, the applications are considered in accordance with the definition of a refugee as set out in section 2 of the Refugee Act, 1996. This section defines a refugee as someone who owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it. An applicant must establish a well-founded fear of persecution and where it is established that such a fear does not exist the application will be rejected and the applicant refused refugee status in the State.