Ceisteanna–Questions. Priority Questions. - Asylum Applications. – Dáil Éireann (28th Dáil) – Thursday, 1 Jun 2000

Mr. O'Donoghue

It should be noted that it has been the general policy of successive Ministers for Justice not to disclose detailed information on the nationality of asylum seekers. This is due to the general and understandable desire on the part of individual applicants and the commitments given to such applicants that an application for recognition as a refugee is processed in confidence. As the number of applicants of some nationalities is small, it could be relatively easy in some instances to identify particular individuals if nationality statistics were provided. Such identification could have serious implications particularly if members of an applicant's family are still in the country of origin. Accordingly, the infor mation requested in respect of countries where the number of applicants is less than ten in any one year is not included.

Subject to this, the information sought by the Deputy for the period 1991 to April 2000 is set out in the following tabular statement:

Applications for Asylum – By Nationality

	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000(30-4)
Afghanistan						11			13
Albania							15	11	12	27
Algeria					47	65	343	178	273	136
Angola						55	139	104	172	80
Armenia								13	11	16
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus						10	19	31	56	33
Benin
Bosnia					23			16
Bulgaria							39	31	111	33
Burkina Faso
Burundi							11		19
Cambodia
Cameroon							15	15	27	20
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Congo							57	10	34
Croatia
Cuba			13	241		13
Cyprus
Czech Republic									23	28
DR Congo					14	112	704	246	272	143
Egypt								40	12
Equador
Eritrea									11
Estonia
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia									47
Germany
Ghana								10	25	20
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Hungary									10
India								14	15
Iran
Iraq					11	47	49	47	101	46
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast								12	31	23
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakstan
Kenya						12			32	34
Kosovo						81	87	127	272	101
Kuwait
Latvia						15	17	22	44	19
Lebanon								18	14
Liberia							27
Libya							40	181	46	18
Lithuania								13	49	31
Macedonia
Malawi
Malaysia
Mali
Mauritania
	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000(30-4)
Mexico
Moldova			17				43	32	275	68
Montenegro
Morocco							10
Mozambique
Niger
Nigeria							665	1,729	1,895	1,156
North Korea
Pakistan							24	27	60	27
Palestine							13	20	25
Panama
Peru
Philippines
Poland							18	116	600	99
Romania		12		37	178	428	857	998	2,226	1,150
Russia				13	11	53	110	83	175	88
Rwanda							30	17	22
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Sierra Leone							48	53	175	41
Slovakia								69		17
Slovenia
Somalia					30	139	258	75	123	87
South Africa								10	44	45
Spain
Sri Lanka									17
Sudan						10	12	14	38	16
Syria
Swaziland
Tajikistan								22	13
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo								12	21	24
Trinidad
Tunisia
Turkey				15			19		16	14
Uganda
Ukraine						19	70	67	129	55
United Kingdom
United States of America
Uzbekistan								11
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Yugoslavia								10
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Total	31	39	91	362	424	1,179	3,883	4,626	7,724	3,848

The largest number of applications for this year up to 30 April appear to come from Nigeria – 1,156. The next highest is from Romania – 1,150. The Democratic Republic of Congo is third highest at 143 applications, followed by Poland at about 99 applications.

The total number of asylum applications up to 30 April 2000 is 3,848. The total for 1999 was 7,724, 4,626 in 1998 and 3,883 in 1997. There is no question but that Ireland's take of asylum applications from Romania and Nigeria appears disproportionately high compared to other EU member states.

Mr. Deasy

The figure for the year so far is quite astonishing. The Minister recently signed a re-admission treaty with Romania. Will he sign a similar treaty with Nigeria, Poland and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as they are the four largest sources of applications?

It is amazing that Poland is in the first tranche of applicants for membership of the EU, yet we have this difficulty with asylum seekers. One is tempted to ask what will happen when Poland becomes a member? Will Poles have free admission to Ireland as do nationals from other member states? Did the Taoiseach raise this issue on his recent visit to Poland?

Mr. O'Donoghue

Last year there were 136 applications from Algeria, 101 from Kosovo and about 600 from Poland. I signed a re-admission agreement with the Romanian Government some weeks ago whereby people found to be illegal immigrants in this jurisdiction can be returned by agreement to Romania.

The Taoiseach obtained agreement in principle from the Polish Government that we would sign a re-admission agreement with Poland. The documentation is being prepared and we are exchanging documents. I will travel to Poland to sign a new re-admission agreement as soon as it is ready.

I have been in contact with the Nigerian authorities. The ambassador is not available at present but officials have met officials of the Nigerian Embassy regarding immigration with the intention of commencing negotiations on a re-admission agreement. It is clear that Ireland should sign re-admission agreements with states where agreement can be obtained. It is far easier to return people to the countries from which they came if such agreements have been signed. It is more difficult to do so, for obvious reasons, if such agreements have not been signed.

Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 1 Jun 2000