Thomas Pringle
Question:93. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons from Yemen applying for asylum here; and the number who have been granted refugee status. [4745/19]
View answerThursday, 31 January 2019
Questions (93, 94, 95)
Thomas Pringle
Question:94. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason refugees from Yemen are not included under the refugee protection programme humanitarian admission programme; and when the decision to exclude Yemen will be reviewed. [4746/19]
View answerThomas Pringle
Question:95. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if consideration has been given to include refugees from Yemen under the refugee protection programme humanitarian admission programme in view of the recent passage of the all-party motion in Seanad Éireann recognising the displacement of 3.1 million persons in Yemen due to conflict. [4747/19]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 to 95, inclusive, together.
The Irish Refugee Protection Programme Humanitarian Admission Programme (IHAP), which I announced in May 2018, provides a new humanitarian pathway for eligible family members coming from the world’s top ten major source countries of refugees based on the UNHCR Annual Global Trends Report.
Persons from the following countries are eligible under the scheme: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Myanmar, Eritrea, and Burundi.
The IHAP is part of the Government's plan to realise the full commitment of 4,000 persons agreed under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme in September 2015. The IHAP provides for up to 530 vulnerable family members to be admitted under the programme before the end of 2019. The first IHAP window for proposals closed on 30 June 2018 and I recently announced the second window for proposals from 20 December 2018 until 08 February 2019.
Government policy relating to immigration and protection matters in the State is kept under constant review and the relevant authorities in Ireland are closely following and observing trends and developments in other EU Member States as well as internationally. The Minister is cognisant of the grave humanitarian crisis in Yemen, however, eligibility for the IHAP is for nationals from countries that are listed in the top ten major source countries of refugees in the UNHCR Annual Global Trends Report.
With regard to the number of nationals from Yemen applying for asylum in the State I can inform the Deputy that 32 nationals from Yemen applied for asylum/international protection between 2008 and 2018. I can also inform the Deputy that 13 nationals from Yemen were granted international protection by the State between 2008 and 2018. Of this figure 7 were granted refugee status and 6 were granted subsidiary protection status.