Vol. 571 No. 1
1184 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the concerns raised by Amnesty International in relation to the Immigration Bill, 2002; if he intends to respond to those concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20538/03]
All of the provisions of the Immigration Act, 2003, have been in operation since 19 September 2003.
The Act, inter alia, makes provision for financial penalties for carriers who transport passengers with inadequate immigration documentation into the State from outside the common travel area and, in the area of refugee law, streamlines determination procedures with a view to making the process of establishing who is and who is not a refugee and dealing with the large number of unfounded asylum applications being received, more efficient.
I am aware that submissions were received from a number of organisations, including Amnesty International, in connection with this legislation which I addressed in detail during the passage of the Bill through both Houses of the Oireachtas.
