Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023
797. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice the security checks that are carried out on international applicants immigrating to Ireland; whether the Irish Immigration Service carries out criminal record checks on people arriving from other European countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47466/23]
View answerThe State has a duty to protect its borders and following examination, ensure that all arriving passengers are entitled to enter the State. This is a fundamental exercise of State sovereignty, which is necessary to protect the security of the State and to prevent illegal immigration. The exercise of powers in this area is at all times subject to the law and to respect for individual rights.
The Border Management Unit (BMU) of my Department has responsibility for frontline immigration duties at Dublin Airport only. Other ports of entry are the responsibility of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).
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 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.
Immigration officials conduct passport checks, and run operations as required, to ensure passengers arriving in the State are properly documented in accordance with Section 11 of the Immigration Act 2004.
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 International Protection Office (IPO) is responsible for examining all international protection applications received. Each applicant for international protection has their fingerprints checked against the Eurodac system which allows officials to see if a person has previously applied for international protection in another Member State.
The establishment of a person’s identity and nationality is an important feature of our immigration process. This is especially important in the context of persons who enter the Irish State for the purposes of making a claim for international protection.
Any person being considered for a grant of status (refugee status, subsidiary protection or permission to remain) will have a character and conduct check (including checks for criminality) carried out in respect of them before any such status is conferred on them. Any and all criminal convictions are considered when processing an international protection application, including violent crime. An Garda Síochána notify the Department of matters which may be relevant to its considerations.
