Pa Daly
Question:689. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the number of deportations carried out between January and December 2020, by month, in tabular form. [45039/20]
View answerWednesday, 13 January 2021
Questions (689, 700, 727)
Cian O'Callaghan
Question:700. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to the recent deportation of a man in Dublin Airport; the current policy in relation to deportations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45152/20]
View answer
Matt Carthy
Question:727. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number of deportations of persons seeking asylum per month in 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1551/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 689, 700 and 727 together.
While neither I nor my Department can comment on individual cases, I can confirm that in line with the clear commitments that both I and the Taoiseach have given, the position remains that no further deportation orders are being enforced during the Covid-19 pandemic except in circumstances where an individual may be a threat to national security and whose presence in Ireland would be contrary to the public interest.
Furthermore, my Department has consistently adopted a pragmatic approach in relation to immigration arrangements in the context of Covid-19. This pragmatic approach to deportation orders will continue for as long as is necessary. As evidence of this, a total of 154 deportation orders were enforced in 2019 as compared with only 42 in 2020 and 34 of those 42 occurred in the first three months of 2020.
A decision was taken some time ago to suspend the issuing of negative international protection decisions during periods when Level 5 restrictions are in place and that position continues at the present time. The same position also applies to the making and service of deportation orders, with the exception of the very limited circumstances I have outlined above.
The table below gives a breakdown of all deportation orders effected in 2020, including in the context of those persons who had an application for international protection refused.
Deportation orders enforced by month in 2020
|
Month |
All deportation orders enforced* |
Deportation orders enforced in respect of failed international protection applicants |
|
January |
14 |
9 |
|
February |
13 |
9 |
|
March |
7 |
6 |
|
April |
0 |
0 |
|
May |
0 |
0 |
|
June |
0 |
0 |
|
July |
1 |
0 |
|
August |
0 |
0 |
|
September |
0 |
0 |
|
October |
3 |
1 |
|
November |
0 |
0 |
|
December |
4 |
2 |
|
Totals |
42 |
27 |
*The figures for all deportation orders enforced (42) includes those deportation orders enforced in respect of failed international protection applicants. By way of comparison, a total of 154 deportation orders were enforced in 2019.