Alan Dillon
Question:367. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Justice how many international protection applicants are working in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5460/24]
View answerWednesday, 7 February 2024
Questions (367)
Written answers
Under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 230 of 2018), persons are eligible to apply for labour market access permission if:
• They are an international protection applicant; and
• They have waited at least 5 months from their “Application Received” date for their first instance recommendation; and
• They are cooperating with the international protection process – delays in receiving a recommendation must not be attributable to the applicant.
Following that, a person will be issued a permission for labour market access if, at 6 months, they have not yet received a first instance recommendation. This permission is valid for 12 months and may be renewed until a final decision is made on the person's international protection application.
Since January 2021 nearly 23,800 first-time applications and renewal applications have been received by the Labour Market Access Unit of my Department and nearly 21,400 have been granted.
Labour market access permission gives eligible applicants the opportunity to work and helps them to integrate into Irish society while providing for themselves and their families outside of the State’s directly provided services and supports. It also helps people to plan and prepare for their future in Ireland if they receive a positive decision on their application for international protection.
The granting of a labour market access permission does not necessarily confirm that the applicant has found employment. In total, since 2021 approximately 6,500 separate individuals have returned at least one LMA5 form, which records that they had found employment at some point over that time.
However, please note these forms are not always returned to the Department. Accordingly, it is not possible using Departmental records to set out the number of international protection applicants that have achieved employment status, or the number of such persons who are awaiting a decision.
I would note that where a person is granted refugee status or other permission to remain they no longer require a Labour Market Access permission to take up employment and instead are issued with a Stamp 4 immigration permission.