Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 September 2011
390 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the scale of undocumented illegal migrants residing here; the steps being taken to address this problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25918/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraA foreign national who is present in the State without permission or in contravention of the terms of a permission is in breach of Irish immigration law. In general, such persons may have entered the State either through covert means or through the use of false documentation at a port of entry or they may have entered lawfully but remained beyond the duration of a permission or have breached the conditions of their permission.
By its nature illegal immigration is clandestine and covert and since illegal immigrants may go to extreme lengths to avoid contact with the immigration authorities, it is extremely difficult to accurately estimate the number of such persons in the State at any given time. Ireland is no different in this regard to any other jurisdiction.
The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service in conjunction with the Garda National Immigration Bureau, which is responsible for enforcing immigration law, controlling the States borders and carrying out investigations into illegal immigration and human trafficking, investigates all known instances of illegal migration and as necessary targeted measures to deal with such activity are implemented at both a policy and operational level.
