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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 15 Feb 2000

Vol. 514 No. 3

Written Answers. - Asylum Seekers.

P. J. Sheehan

Ceist:

309 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of refugees seeking asylum; the number which have applied for work permits; and the number of work permits issued in 1999. [4367/00]

I wish to advise the Deputy that the term refugee applies to applicants who have been granted asylum following an examination of their application by reference to the definition of "refugee" contained in the 1951 convention relating to the status of refugees as amended by the 1967 protocol and as defined in section 2 of the Refugee Act, 1996, as amended. In this context where it is established that a well-founded fear of persecution, within the definition laid down in section 2 of the Refugee Act, 1996, as amended, exists in any country, applicants will be granted refugee status. Persons who have been granted, and I emphasise granted, refugee status do not require work permits to engage in employment in the State.

The Government decision of 26 July 1999 which allowed certain asylum seekers seek employment agreed that (i) applicants who had made their applications for asylum on or before 26 July 1999; (ii) whose applications are over 12 months old and have not been finally determined; and (iii) who have been complying with their obligations as asylum seekers may seek employment.

On 14 December 1999 the Government dispensed with the requirement for work permits for asylum seekers eligible under the previous decision of 26 July 1999. The Government also decided that each eligible asylum seeker should be issued with a letter which sets out the position and which would enable them to present this letter to a potential employer and my Department has arranged accordingly. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has informed my Department that up to 14 December 99 applications for work permits had been received in respect of eligible asylum seekers of which 56 had issued and a further 11 had been approved, which subsequently issued.

On 31 January 2000 my Department had 10,472 applications for asylum on hands. A breakdown of this figure is contained on the attached tabular statement.

Table 1
Asylum Seekers 1992-2000

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000(31/1)

No. of applications

39

91

362

424

1,179

3,883

4,626

7,724

976

No. of applications withdrawn before decision

3

52

222

220

550

1,368

826

445

3

No. of withdrawn applications re-submitted to the asylum process

0

0

0

0

11

53

31

9

No. of applications transferred out under Dublin Convention

0

0

0

0

0

15

15

1

First Stage

No. recognised as refugees

7

9

34

90

172

124

97

20

No. refused of which returned to first stage following appeal

29

30

106

113

4312

1,5002

2,150

349

No. deemed abandoned of which returned to first stage determination process

28

674

8889

97

No. found to be manifestly unfounded of which - returned to first stage determination process following appeal of manifestly unfounded decision

1

113

657

1135

93

granted temporary leave to remain

7

5

66

21

36

0

0

No. of first instance applications outstanding

0

0

0

0

3

199

582

6,728

973

Appeal Stage

No. of substantive cases appealed

6

21

21

73

364

1,323

1,649

173

No. of Man/Unfounded cases appealed

1

4

28

52

37

Total appealed

6

21

21

74

368

1,351

1,701

210

No. of cases withdrawn before appeal

2

3

6

9

24

108

135

7

No. of cases granted refugee status following appeal

1

1

1

11

93

241

96

No. of substantive cases refused following appeal

3

17

14

53

222

418

161

No. of Man/Unfounded refused following appeal

1

1

20

24

7

No. of cases deemed abandoned

5

38

24

No. of cases Man/Unfounded cases returned to first stage

3

7

5

No. substantive cases returned to first stage

2

2

granted temporary leave to remain following appeal

(2)

(14)

(5)

(9)

(18)

(16)

(2)

No. of appeal cases outstanding

0

0

0

0

18

517

1,256

196

0

of which - manifestly unfounded

(3)

(28)

(22)

Total No. of cases on hand

0

0

0

0

21

716

1,838

6,924

973

Overall Total

10,472

It should be noted that all above figures relating to decisions, withdrawals, appeals etc., refer to the year in which the application was lodged and NOT to the year in which the decision, withdrawal, appeal etc. was made.
Table 2
Decisions taken in

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000(31/1)

Granted refugee status at first stage

4

15

36

209

128

160

10

Granted refugee status at appeal stage

0

0

0

4

40

351

49

Refused status of which

27

43

32

304

1,202

4,737

315

–granted temporary leave to remain at first instance

(5)

(8)

(6)

(120)

0

0

0

–were found to be manifestly unfounded

0

0

0

0

(104)

(133)

(46)

–were deemed abandoned*

(2)

(1,622)

(46)

–returned to first stage determination process following appeal of manifestly unfounded decision

(12)

Granted temporary leave to remain following appeal

(27)

(39)

Total

31

58

68

517

1,370

5,248

374

It should be noted that these decisions refer to the year in which the decisions were taken and NOT to the year in which the applications were lodged.
*It should be noted that prior to October 1998, 452 applications for asylum were deemed abandoned but were not recorded as decisions taken as they were treated as withdrawals at that point in time.
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