Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 8 Apr 2003

Vol. 564 No. 5

Written Answers - Deportation Orders.

Paul McGrath

Question:

408 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of failed asylum seekers who were deported from Ireland during 2002; the countries to which they were repatriated; the number to each of those countries; the number who had no escort, one escort, two or more escorts on those repatriation flights; the number of families who were repatriated; the number of escorts sent with those famil ies; and the total cost of air flights for those repatriations. [10047/03]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell)

In 2002, 521 persons were deported from the State pursuant to section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999, as amended. Of this number, the vast majority were in respect of persons refused refugee status in the State. The number also includes illegal immigrants and a total of 70 persons who were deported to another EU state pursuant to the Dublin Convention to have their asylum applications processed there.

The following table gives a breakdown of the numbers deported in 2002 on the basis of their stated nationalities. In the vast majority of cases the person concerned was removed to his or her country of stated nationality. The table includes the stated nationalities of the 70 Dublin Convention removals and a further table indicates to which EU countries these were removed to have their asylum applications processed there.

Nationality	Number
Albanian	9
Algerian	7
American	2
Belarussian	6
Brazilian	4
Bulgarian	17
Cameroon	1
Chinese	19
Congolese	1
Croatian	10
Czech	66
Democratic Republic of Congo	1
Estonian	5
Ghanaian	1
Hungarian	1
Iranian	2
Kzakhstani	6
Kosovar	19
Latvian	15
Lithuanian	13
Macedonian	11
Malaysian	5
Moldovan	24
Nepalese	1
Nigerian	46
Pakistani	3
Polish	63
Romanian	128
Russian	10
Serbian	1
Somalian	2
South African	8
Spanish	1
Stateless*	2
Sudanese	1
Ukrainian	9
Uzbekistani	1
Total	521

*Removed to UK pursuant to Dublin Convention.

A breakdown of the EU countries to which the 70 Dublin Convention removals included in the table outlined were sent to have their asylum applications processed is as follows:

Destination of Removal	Number
Austria	5
Belgium	4
France	2
Germany	1
Greece	1
Holland	1
Netherlands	1
Spain	1
UK	54
Total	70

The number of family units consisting of two or more persons with related asylum applications deported in 2002 was 53.

The travel costs for the 521 removals in 2002 was €1,816,314. This sum represents the cost of the airfares for the deportees and their escorts; it does not include the cost of Garda overtime or subsistence. The sum includes the cost of chartering three aircraft, one to Algeria in January 2002 and two to Nigeria in March and November 2002, respectively. Details of these charters are set out in the following table:

Date	Destination	No. Deportees	No. of Escorts	Charter Cost
				€
9 January 2002	Algiers	2	5	23,495
28 March 2002	Lagos	6	20	190,000
14 November 2002	Lagos	12	35	151,000

The charters were necessary as commercial airlines refused to carry some of the deportees concerned following earlier disruptive and threatening behaviour by them while on board regular scheduled flights.

The Garda National Immigration Bureau is responsible for effecting removals from the State including the escorting of deportees while on flights. The number of escorts accompanying a deportee is an operational matter for the Garda and is based on a prior risk assessment carried out by them. I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that figures for the number of escorts used in 2002 are not readily available, except in relation to the three charter flights mentioned in the table above. The Garda will endeavour to compile this information as soon as possible, upon receipt of which I will forward to the Deputy.