Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 February 2024
283. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons landing at airports or arriving through ferry ports without travel documentation; and the number of these persons who then applied for asylum for the years 2018 to 2023, in tabular form. [7201/24]
View answerThe Border Management Unit of my Department is responsible for front-line ##Immigration at Dublin Airport only, as such the below figures reflect the position at Dublin Airport. Other airports and other ports of entry are the responsibility of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) and data as requested is not collated in this manner for other ports of entry.
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.
The BMU and the GNIB are working closely with airlines on a range of measures to ensure that passengers have the appropriate travel documentation when boarding. Immigration officials are available 24/7 to assist airlines with queries in relation to immigration matters.
In addition to providing advice to airlines on specific queries, training is provided to airline ground staff on current travel documentation requirements to help them reduce the number of passengers boarding flights without correct documentation. The Department has recorded a 34% reduction in 2023 in the number of persons arriving in the State without the correct documentation.
Section 2(1) of the Immigration Act 2003 places obligations on carriers to ensure that passengers travelling to the State are in possession of a valid travel document that establishes the person’s identity and nationality, and that they have the appropriate visa if required.
While systems do not allow for the extraction of the precise data requested, it is the case that the majority of those who present without appropriate documentation and refused leave to land seek to enter the international protection process. It is also the case that some people with valid travel documents seek to enter the international protection process, hence the number of applicants for asylum below included persons who presented with valid documents.
Immigration Control at Dublin Airport
|
Year |
Total Refusals |
Undocumented Arrivals |
Requested Asylum |
|
2018 |
3999 |
895 |
N/A |
|
2019 |
6151 |
1579 |
N/A |
|
2020 |
2077 |
712 |
N/A |
|
2021 |
3210 |
2082 |
N/A |
|
2022 |
7,662 |
4,968 |
6,765 |
|
2023 |
5,826 |
3,287 |
4,712 |
*May be subject to slight variance following data cleansing.
**The BMU introduced the statistical system to capture Asylum in October 2021, therefore, data is only available from that time.
