Asylum Seekers

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 May 2023

Wednesday, 31 May 2023

Questions (103)

Carol Nolan

Question:

103. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 5 of 25 May 2023, if he will clarify the apparent contradiction in the numbers provided, given that in his reply he states the number of people in 2023, to the end of April, who arrived at Dublin Airport and were refused leave to land on the basis of no documentation is 1,010, and those refused for being in possession of false documentation is 281, while an FOI request released to an organisation (details supplied) states that between January and April this year, 1,465 asylum seekers arrived into Dublin Airport with no travel documents, while 354 arrived with false documents in the same period. [26504/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice (Deputy Helen McEntee)

I am happy to clarify the matter for the Deputy.

In the Deputy's Parliamentary Question of 25 May 2023 you asked for the figures for the year 2023 to date, and my response to you provided you with that information, covering the period January 2023 to end April 2023.

In the article referred to in the details supplied, the author uses data from December 2022 to April 2023, hence the difference in the information provided in both responses. The author of the article notes that the data includes December 2022.

The information provided to you remains accurate for YtD to end April and when December 2022 is added to the total it arrives at 1,465.