Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 1 Feb 2000

Vol. 513 No. 3

Written Answers. - Asylum Applications.

Seán Haughey

Question:

280 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of Nigerians seeking asylum each year; if the general political situation in Nigeria is taken into account when processing these applications; if their individual circumstances in Nigeria are investigated; if his attention has been drawn to a view in Nigeria that these asylum seekers are needed at home and are not in fact refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2317/00]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of Nigerians seeking asylum each year is as follows:

1995	1
1996	9
1997	665
1998	1,729
1999	1,895

The grounds upon which asylum applicants from Nigeria base their claim for asylum are varied and cover the full spectrum of the grounds stipulated in the Geneva Convention, namely, race; religion; nationality; membership of a particular social group or political opinion.

Each application for asylum is considered on its merits, taking into consideration the information supplied by the applicant in his or her completed questionnaire, at interview and any submissions made by or on behalf of the applicant. Also taken into account is the general situation in the country of origin as it pertains to the applicant's grounds for claiming asylum. For this purpose, my Department obtains information from, inter alia, the UNHCR, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Amnesty International reports, the US State Department, the Canadian Boards of Immi gration, other EU member states as well as media and Internet sources. A research and documentation centre is available in the Refugee Application Centre as a research facility for this Department and the legal representatives of asylum seekers. This documentation centre is administered by the Refugee Legal Service in co-operation with the UNHCR.

Applications for asylum are considered in confidence to safeguard against the possibility of any risk arising to a possible refugee through it becoming known to the applicant's alleged persecutor of his or her whereabouts. It has been my Department's policy not to inquire of countries of origin about individual asylum seekers as this would be contrary to the assurance given to asylum seekers that their cases will be dealt with in confidence.

I am not aware of any views held in Nigeria that asylum seekers from that country are needed at home in Nigeria or that they are not in fact refugees.