On 12 May 2000 I signed a re-admission agreement on behalf of the Government with the Government of Romania in Bucharest. The main purpose of the agreement is to provide for the re-admission to either contracting party of citizens of the other contracting party who are residing in either State without authorisation; the re-admission of third country citizens, persons who do not have citizenship of either of the contracting parties including stateless persons, who arrived in either State from the other State and who are residing without authorisation; and the possibility, in limited circumstances, of third country citizens transiting either State, under escort, while being returned to a third country.
Copies of the agreement have been laid before Dáil Éireann.
During the course of discussions, it was agreed that two Romanian officials, one from the Romanian police and one from the Immigration Service, would be seconded to Dublin to work with our immigration authorities. In this regard, I would point out that exchanges of this nature for the purpose of strengthening international co-operation are not new. For example, as I announced on 8 May 2000, the Government, as part of a number of measures agreed in relation to asylum, refugees and immigration matters, approved the strengthening of Garda international liaison arrangements by the placing of Garda liaison officers in London and Paris for the purpose of interacting with local law enforcement authorities particularly on immigration matters with particular reference to the combating of trafficking activity. As the vast majority of asylum seekers arrive in the State via the United Kingdom or France, the Government recognises that a strengthening of international liaison with those countries, in particular, will be important in identifying immigration trends and flows and other immigration related activities. The Garda Síochána already have permanent liaision officers in Madrid, The Hague and in the Europol headquarters.
