Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 30 Sep 2003

Vol. 571 No. 1

Written Answers. - Refugee Status.

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

1218 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of an applicant for refugee status (details supplied) in County Wexford who was recently arrested by immigration officials and is currently in Clover Hill Prison; if it is intended to further consider this person's application for refugee status in view of the fact that their partner is expecting their child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20849/03]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell)

The position is that the person concerned was refused refugee status in the State following consideration of his case by the former asylum division of my Department. He was notified of the decision by letter of 30 March 1999, which was re-issued on 4 May 1999, and again by letter of 7 September 1999. He did not respond to this correspondence, did not submit an appeal against this decision and he made no attempt to contact the authorities to inquire into his asylum application.

His case was examined for deportation under section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 and section 5 of the Refugee Act 1996, Prohibition of Refoulement, having regard to all information regarding the applicant available to the Minister at the time. A deportation order was signed in respect of him on 19 October 2000 and he was informed of this by letter of 10 November 2000 in which he was required to present himself at a named Garda station on Thursday 16 November 2000 in order to make arrangements for his removal from the State. He did not attend as required and was classified as an evader. He was subsequently arrested by the Garda national immigration bureau and was deported to Romania on Friday 26 September 2003.