The number of persons deported, pursuant to the Immigration Act 1999, as amended, in the period 24 April 2003 to 23 April 2004 was 688. The numbers deported to the ten accession states were as follows:
|
Number
|
|
Czech Republic
|
57
|
|
Estonia
|
8
|
|
Hungary
|
5
|
|
Latvia
|
19
|
|
Lithuania
|
26
|
|
Poland
|
38
|
|
Slovak Republic
|
5
|
|
Cyprus
|
nil
|
|
Malta
|
nil
|
|
Slovenia
|
nil
|
Persons from the accession states deported prior to the 1 May 2004 will be entitled to seek revocation of their deportation orders where they intend returning to Ireland after that date for the purpose of exercising EU treaty rights, such as the right to work or establishment. Such applications will be considered by me under section 3(11) of the Immigration Act 1999, as amended.
It is not possible to calculate the costs of these deportations in the manner sought by the Deputy. It should be borne in mind that a number of Government agencies have a role in deportation matters. My own Department has a clear responsibility for processing cases to the point where a deportation order is issued but the other Government bodies involved — the Chief States Solicitor's Office, the Garda National Immigration Bureau, GNIB, and the Irish Prison Service — have wider responsibilities and it not possible to isolate the costs incurred by them solely in respect of their roles in deportations. For example, the GNIB is responsible for the prevention and detection of illegal immigration, maintaining border controls at airports and seaports and the registration of third country nationals legally residing in the State, as well as the removal of persons with deportation orders. Similarly, the Irish Prison Service accommodates other detainees, apart from those held pending deportation.
However I can provide the Deputy with the costs of deportation flights, including charter flights, for the year 2003 and to date in 2004 as follows:
|
Year
|
Flight Costs
|
Number Deported
|
|
€
|
|
|
2003
|
1,569,782.70
|
590
|
|
2004
|
*554,477.51
|
**270
|
**Costs paid up to 31 March 2004.
**In addition 6 persons were transferred to other EU states since 1 January 2004 pursuant to the new Dublin II Regulation, formerly the Dublin Convention.
Based on the figures above, the average flight cost, including the cost of flights for the accompanying Garda escorts, per deportation was €2,660 in 2003 and €2,053 in 2004. The cost in any particular case depends on the destination of return and the number of accompanying escorts, based on a prior risk assessment of the deportee by the Garda National Immigration Bureau, GNIB. Transport costs incurred by the GNIB within the State relating to deportations amounted to €294,742 in 2003 and €75,742 in the period January to March 2004 inclusive.
Persons being deported are requested to report to the GNIB to make arrangements for their removal and are afforded every opportunity to co-operate with the Garda in their removal. It is only where they fail to co-operate or the Garda is of the opinion that they intend to evade the deportation order, that they are detained to ensure their removal from the State.
The prescribed places of detention for persons to be held pending their deportation from the State are set out in SI 103 of 2002, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library.
