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Asylum Policy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 July 2013

Tuesday, 9 July 2013

Questions (434)

Derek Nolan

Question:

434. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons, and the nationality of those persons, who, in 2011, 2012 and the first six months of 2013, after attempting to enter here, have been transferred or returned to the UK by the Irish authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33441/13]

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Written answers

I am assuming that the Deputy is referring to persons who applied for asylum in this State and were subsequently returned to the UK in accordance with the relevant Regulations. Applications for asylum are examined by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC). In some cases, following ORAC's examination it transpires that individuals have previously made asylum applications or have been granted visas in the United Kingdom. Therefore, in accordance with the provisions of the Dublin II Regulation the individuals concerned should be transferred to the United Kingdom to have their asylum applications fully examined in that country. Consequently, a Transfer Order is made in respect of those individuals and this places an obligation on them to 'present' him/her self at the Offices of the Garda National Immigration Bureau where arrangements are made for their formal transfer to the United Kingdom.

Persons from over forty nationalities are represented in the overall figures. In 2011 a total of 125 Transfer Orders were made with the top nationalities being Pakistan, Nigeria, DR Congo, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. In 2012, a total of 60 persons were transferred with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, Somalia and Sudan representing the highest number of persons by nationality. Up to 30 June this year, a total of 40 persons were transferred to the UK with Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Kenya and Libya comprising the top nationalities.

The Dublin II Regulation, (Council Regulation (EC) No. 343/2003), is intended to prevent the phenomenon of 'asylum shopping' across Europe and sets out criteria for determining which Regulation State is responsible for examining an asylum application where applications have been lodged in more than one Regulation State or whereby an asylum seeker has been granted a visa to enter another Regulation State and has entered that other State before entering Ireland and making an asylum application here. At the same time, it guarantees applicants that one State will process their application, thereby preventing the creation of 'refugees in orbit', a situation which had previously pertained in Europe.

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