Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 July 2023
183. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice the number of approvals and negative decisions made to date under the Afghan Admission Programme; the number of visas which have been issued to beneficiaries of the programme; if the final number of beneficiaries is expected to be greater than 500; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34619/23]
View answerI understand that this is a difficult situation for our Afghan community and would like to take this opportunity to assure them that my Department is processing applications under the Afghan Admissions Programme (AAP) as quickly as possible.To ensure as many people as possible can avail of this important programme my Department have 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.
We issued the first approval under the Programme on 14 November 2022. As of 7 July 2023, 463 beneficiaries have received approvals and 11 negative decisions in respect of 36 beneficiaries have been issued under the terms of Programme. In addition, a further 28 applicants have been informed that their applications in respect of 77 beneficiaries were not eligible under the terms of the Programme. The Department continues to process the remaining applications and will notify all applicants in the coming months.
The Programme has been developed to allow as many families as possible the opportunity to have some family members join them here in Ireland.
It was originally envisaged that up to 500 places would be available under the Programme. However, applicants who have met the deadlines and other criteria for the Programme will continue to be assessed and have determinations issued on their application. Consequently the number of places to be provided under the programme is likely to exceed 500.
I can also advise that if an applicant has received a negative decision in respect of their application to the AAP it is open to them to appeal this decision at no extra cost. The appeal must be submitted on the appeal form within 20 working days of the date of the decision letter. Further details together with a link to the appeal form can be found at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/the-afghan-admission-programme-information-page/the-afghan-admission-programme-aap-appeals/
