Vol. 513 No. 1
676 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if any of the persons recently deported, having failed to obtain asylum status, were in receipt of work permits or were employed by Irish companies at the time of receiving a deportation notice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1810/00]
Since the implementation of the Immigration Act, 1999, eight persons have been deported from the State. Work permits had not been issued in respect of any of these persons and, therefore, none of them could have been working lawfully in the State.
677 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of asylum seekers issued with deportation notices in each of the years from 1998 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1811/00]
The numbers of deportation orders signed in 1999 in respect of failed asylum seekers and persons to whom the Dublin Convention applied are 79 and 15 respectively. In January 1999, the High Court ruled that my power to deport was unconstitutional. This necessitated the passage by the Oireachtas of the Immigration Act, 1999, to restore the power in a way which complied with the Constitution. The absence of a power to deport for a large part of 1999 meant that the number of deportation orders made was lower than in 1998. No such orders have been made to date in 2000 in respect of failed asylum seekers or persons to whom the Dublin Convention applies. A total of 305 deportation orders were signed in 1998. The large majority of these orders would have been in respect of failed asylum seekers or persons covered by the Dublin Convention but precise figures are not readily to hand.
