P. J. Sheehan
Question:309 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of refugees seeking asylum; the number which have applied for work permits; and the number of work permits issued in 1999. [4367/00]
Vol. 514 No. 3
309 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of refugees seeking asylum; the number which have applied for work permits; and the number of work permits issued in 1999. [4367/00]
I wish to advise the Deputy that the term refugee applies to applicants who have been granted asylum following an examination of their application by reference to the definition of "refugee" contained in the 1951 convention relating to the status of refugees as amended by the 1967 protocol and as defined in section 2 of the Refugee Act, 1996, as amended. In this context where it is established that a well-founded fear of persecution, within the definition laid down in section 2 of the Refugee Act, 1996, as amended, exists in any country, applicants will be granted refugee status. Persons who have been granted, and I emphasise granted, refugee status do not require work permits to engage in employment in the State.
The Government decision of 26 July 1999 which allowed certain asylum seekers seek employment agreed that (i) applicants who had made their applications for asylum on or before 26 July 1999; (ii) whose applications are over 12 months old and have not been finally determined; and (iii) who have been complying with their obligations as asylum seekers may seek employment.
On 14 December 1999 the Government dispensed with the requirement for work permits for asylum seekers eligible under the previous decision of 26 July 1999. The Government also decided that each eligible asylum seeker should be issued with a letter which sets out the position and which would enable them to present this letter to a potential employer and my Department has arranged accordingly. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has informed my Department that up to 14 December 99 applications for work permits had been received in respect of eligible asylum seekers of which 56 had issued and a further 11 had been approved, which subsequently issued.
On 31 January 2000 my Department had 10,472 applications for asylum on hands. A breakdown of this figure is contained on the attached tabular statement.
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000(31/1) |
|
No. of applications |
39 |
91 |
362 |
424 |
1,179 |
3,883 |
4,626 |
7,724 |
976 |
No. of applications withdrawn before decision |
3 |
52 |
222 |
220 |
550 |
1,368 |
826 |
445 |
3 |
No. of withdrawn applications re-submitted to the asylum process |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
53 |
31 |
9 |
|
No. of applications transferred out under Dublin Convention |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
15 |
15 |
1 |
No. recognised as refugees |
7 |
9 |
34 |
90 |
172 |
124 |
97 |
20 |
|
No. refused of which returned to first stage following appeal |
29 |
30 |
106 |
113 |
4312 |
1,5002 |
2,150 |
349 |
|
No. deemed abandoned of which returned to first stage determination process |
28 |
674 |
8889 |
97 |
|||||
No. found to be manifestly unfounded of which - returned to first stage determination process following appeal of manifestly unfounded decision |
1 |
113 |
657 |
1135 |
93 |
||||
granted temporary leave to remain |
7 |
5 |
66 |
21 |
36 |
0 |
0 |
||
No. of first instance applications outstanding |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
199 |
582 |
6,728 |
973 |
No. of substantive cases appealed |
6 |
21 |
21 |
73 |
364 |
1,323 |
1,649 |
173 |
|
No. of Man/Unfounded cases appealed |
1 |
4 |
28 |
52 |
37 |
||||
Total appealed |
6 |
21 |
21 |
74 |
368 |
1,351 |
1,701 |
210 |
|
No. of cases withdrawn before appeal |
2 |
3 |
6 |
9 |
24 |
108 |
135 |
7 |
|
No. of cases granted refugee status following appeal |
1 |
1 |
1 |
11 |
93 |
241 |
96 |
||
No. of substantive cases refused following appeal |
3 |
17 |
14 |
53 |
222 |
418 |
161 |
||
No. of Man/Unfounded refused following appeal |
1 |
1 |
20 |
24 |
7 |
||||
No. of cases deemed abandoned |
5 |
38 |
24 |
||||||
No. of cases Man/Unfounded cases returned to first stage |
3 |
7 |
5 |
||||||
No. substantive cases returned to first stage |
2 |
2 |
|||||||
granted temporary leave to remain following appeal |
(2) |
(14) |
(5) |
(9) |
(18) |
(16) |
(2) |
||
No. of appeal cases outstanding |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
18 |
517 |
1,256 |
196 |
0 |
of which - manifestly unfounded |
(3) |
(28) |
(22) |
||||||
Total No. of cases on hand |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
21 |
716 |
1,838 |
6,924 |
973 |
Overall Total |
10,472 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000(31/1) |
|
Granted refugee status at first stage |
4 |
15 |
36 |
209 |
128 |
160 |
10 |
Granted refugee status at appeal stage |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
40 |
351 |
49 |
Refused status of which |
27 |
43 |
32 |
304 |
1,202 |
4,737 |
315 |
–granted temporary leave to remain at first instance |
(5) |
(8) |
(6) |
(120) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
–were found to be manifestly unfounded |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
(104) |
(133) |
(46) |
–were deemed abandoned* |
(2) |
(1,622) |
(46) |
||||
–returned to first stage determination process following appeal of manifestly unfounded decision |
(12) |
||||||
Granted temporary leave to remain following appeal |
(27) |
(39) |
|||||
Total |
31 |
58 |
68 |
517 |
1,370 |
5,248 |
374 |