Carol Nolan
Question:88. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice if she is in a position to supply the information sought in a previous question (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16775/24]
View answerWednesday, 17 April 2024
Questions (88)
Written answers
My Department’s Border Management Unit (BMU) and the Garda National Immigration (GNIB) are working closely with airlines on a range of measures to ensure that passengers have the appropriate travel documentation when boarding. Immigration officials of my Department 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 identify fake documents and reduce the number of passengers boarding flights without correct documentation. It is an offence for a person to seek to enter the state without a valid passport or equivalent document.
My Department has recorded a significant reduction in 2023 in the number of people arriving in the State without the correct documentation. Q1 in 2024 has seen a further reduction in the numbers arriving without documentation based on the work that the Department’s Border Management Unit is doing in co-operation with Gardaí.
The information requested by the Deputy regarding nationalities of people who arrived at Dublin Airport, and who subsequently claimed international protection without being in possession of correct identifying documentation or no identifying documentation, has been to be collated in the manner requested with effect from October 2021 onwards. The tables below give a detailed breakdown as requested for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024 to 31 March.
The table below details the number of arrivals who were not in possession of correct identifying documentation or had no identifying documentation in 2022.
|
Nationality |
Total |
|
Nationality |
Total |
|
Georgian |
1538 |
|
Somali |
920 |
|
Zimbabwean |
540 |
|
Syrian |
506 |
|
Iranian |
391 |
|
Kuwaiti |
316 |
|
Eritrean |
233 |
|
Albanian |
202 |
|
Algerian |
178 |
|
Iraqi |
96 |
|
Chinese |
92 |
|
Palestinian |
88 |
|
Yemeni |
86 |
|
Sudanese |
83 |
|
Afghan |
82 |
|
Congolese (DRC) |
74 |
|
Nigerian |
47 |
|
Indian |
40 |
|
Ethiopian |
34 |
|
South African |
31 |
|
Togolese |
27 |
|
Sri Lankan |
26 |
|
Others |
170 |
|
Total |
5800 |
The table below details the number of arrivals who were not in possession of correct identifying documentation or had no identifying documentation in 2023.
|
Nationality |
Total |
|
Georgian |
526 |
|
Somali |
486 |
|
Chinese |
472 |
|
Zimbabwean |
371 |
|
Syrian |
335 |
|
Iranian |
313 |
|
Albanian |
278 |
|
Eritrean |
198 |
|
Kuwaiti |
191 |
|
Afghan |
183 |
|
Iraqi |
123 |
|
Indian |
122 |
|
Algerian |
115 |
|
Sudanese |
100 |
|
Congolese (DRC) |
60 |
|
South African |
57 |
|
Palestinian |
48 |
|
Yemeni |
36 |
|
Nigerian |
32 |
|
Ethiopian |
18 |
|
Turkish |
11 |
|
Others |
84 |
|
Total |
4159 |
The table below details the number of arrivals who were not in possession of correct identifying documentation or had no identifying documentation in 2024 to 31 March.
|
Nationality |
2024* |
|
Somali |
123 |
|
Albanian |
107 |
|
Georgian |
92 |
|
Syrian |
90 |
|
Zimbabwean |
79 |
|
Iranian |
58 |
|
Eritrean |
52 |
|
Afghan |
40 |
|
Kuwaiti |
38 |
|
Chinese |
36 |
|
Sudanese |
31 |
|
Congolese (DRC) |
17 |
|
Palestinian |
16 |
|
Algerian |
10 |
|
Others |
63 |
|
Total |
852 |
*All data provided is correct at time of issue and may be subject to data cleansing.
Information provided by applicants in support of their application upon arrival at the International Protection Office, including documents concerning their identity, are recorded on each individual applicant’s file. Therefore, this information is not available in a manner which allows detailed data to be extracted in the manner sought by the Deputy.