I refer the Deputy to my reply Parliamentary Question No. 13 on 17 October 2002.
Operation Hyphen was one of a range of initiatives undertaken by the Garda authorities in their ongoing investigation to identify persons who are present in this jurisdiction and who are not in compliance with immigration law, including the evaders of deportation orders. This would not include asylum seekers as, by virtue of section 9 of the Refugee Act 1996, an applicant for asylum must be given leave to enter the State and is entitled to remain in the State until the application is transferred under the Dublin Convention, is withdrawn or is refused by the Minister. In this regard, asylum applicants are issued with a temporary residence certificate which includes a statement to the effect that they will not be removed from the State before the final determination of their application.