Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 February 2023
238. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons facilitated in relocating to Ireland under the Afghan admission programme; the number of people who have been accepted but are yet to be relocated; and the number of persons refused participation in the programme, including the rationale for said refusals. [6408/23]
View answerI am conscious that this is a difficult situation for our Afghan community and their loved ones and would like to take this opportunity to assure them that my Department is processing applications under the Afghan Admissions Programme as quickly as possible.
To ensure as many people as possible can avail of this important programme my Department has been liaising with representatives of the Afghan Community and with applicants directly to ensure the Afghan Admission Programme team have everything needed to progress applications. Where applicants are missing important information, such as proof of identity and familial relationships, the Afghan Admission Programme Unit contacted people directly to gather the required documents. This process is now complete. The requested information has begun to be received and applications continue to be assessed in a pragmatic and humanitarian manner.
My Department commenced issuing decisions in the last quarter of 2022. Approvals issued in respect of 81 beneficiaries under the Afghan Admissions Programme up to the 31st of December 2022. A further 74 approvals have been issued up to the 9th of February 2023. This brings the total number of approvals under this Programme to 155. To date, no refusal letters have been issued.
My Department has no responsibility for relocating beneficiaries of this Programme. The eligibility criteria requires that the applicant must be able to maintain their nominated family members, including providing them with accommodation. They also have responsibility for covering travel costs.
It should be noted that the Afghan Admission Programme is not the only avenue for Afghan nationals to come to Ireland. Since August 2021, a total of 143 ‘join family visas’ have been approved for Afghan nationals and 107 family reunification applications have also been approved.
A significant number of Afghan people have also been allocated places under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP), which is under the remit of the Department of Children, Equality. Disability, Integration and Youth. My Department provides the visas to facilitate their travel to Ireland and approximately 600 visa waiver letters have been issued to date.
