Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 May 2023
516. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice the number of people who have been refused leave to land to date in 2023, broken down by nationality; the number of those who subsequently left the State or made an application for international protection, broken down by nationality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23283/23]
View answerThe State has a duty to protect its borders and following examination, ensure that all arriving passengers are entitled to enter the State. The exercise of powers in this area is at all times subject to the law and to respect for individual rights.
Under Section 4 of the Immigration Act 2004, an immigration officer must determine whether a non-EEA national should be granted leave to land and thus gain entry to the State. In performing their duties, an officer is required to consider all of the circumstances of the individual at the time of entry. Section 4(3) of that Act sets out the full range of grounds on which a passenger may be refused.
When a person is refused leave to land at Dublin airport, the Immigration Officer will arrange for the person to be referred to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) for removal from the state. The priority is to return them on the next available return flight to the last point of embarkation.
If a person indicates or is identified as being in need of international protection they are admitted to the international protection process. However, they will still be recorded as a refusal of leave to land.
The Border Management Unit of my Department is responsible for frontline Immigration at Dublin Airport only, as such the below figures reflect the position at Dublin Airport. Other ports of entry are the responsibility of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).
|
Month |
Total Arriving Passengers |
Total Refusals |
Claimed Asylum |
|
Jan-23 |
1,066,461 |
511 |
468 |
|
Feb-23 |
1,026,637 |
407 |
338 |
|
Mar-23 |
1,226,778 |
455 |
334 |
|
Apr-23 |
1,417,640 |
408 |
313 |
|
2023 YtD |
4,737,516 |
1,781 |
1,453 |
*May be subject to slight variance following data cleansing.
Refusals
|
Nationality |
Total |
|
Georgian |
175 |
|
Zimbabwean |
145 |
|
Somali |
136 |
|
Bolivian |
125 |
|
Iranian |
115 |
|
Chinese |
106 |
|
Albanian |
101 |
|
Syrian |
87 |
|
Eritrean |
81 |
|
Kuwaiti |
78 |
|
Iraqi |
67 |
|
Brazilian |
65 |
|
Afghan |
62 |
|
Indian |
53 |
|
South African |
52 |
|
Sudanese |
46 |
|
Algerian |
32 |
|
Salvadoran |
31 |
|
Motswana |
22 |
|
Yemeni |
19 |
|
Egyptian |
18 |
|
Palestinian |
17 |
|
Nicaraguan |
16 |
|
Congolese (DRC) |
16 |
|
Nigerian |
16 |
|
Swazi |
12 |
|
Others* |
88 |
|
Grand Total |
1781 |
*where a Nationality has 10 or less Refusals/Asylum claims they are grouped as Others to prevent identification.
Asylum
|
Nationality |
Total |
|
Georgian |
167 |
|
Zimbabwean |
141 |
|
Somali |
131 |
|
Iranian |
106 |
|
Chinese |
103 |
|
Syrian |
82 |
|
Albanian |
79 |
|
Eritrean |
75 |
|
Kuwaiti |
75 |
|
Iraqi |
62 |
|
Afghan |
52 |
|
Sudanese |
46 |
|
Indian |
45 |
|
South African |
40 |
|
Salvadoran |
31 |
|
Algerian |
27 |
|
Motswana |
19 |
|
Egyptian |
18 |
|
Congolese (DRC) |
16 |
|
Yemeni |
16 |
|
Palestinian |
16 |
|
Nigerian |
14 |
|
Swazi |
12 |
|
Bolivian |
12 |
|
Others* |
68 |
|
Grand Total |
1453 |
*where a nationality has 10 or fewer Refusals/Asylum claims they are grouped as Others to prevent identification.
