Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2020
628. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Justice the number of Syrians granted asylum to date in 2020; his plans to increase the number of Syrians being granted asylum here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24925/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraLast December, a second phase of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) was announced giving a commitment to welcome a further 2,900 refugees between this year and 2023, through a combination of resettlement and community sponsorship.
In terms of resettlements, 650 refugees will be resettled this year, 700 next year, 750 in 2022 and 800 in 2023. The arrivals for the first two years will largely comprise of Syrian refugees resident in Jordan and Lebanon, along with a pilot group of Eritrean refugees resident in Ethiopia. Any decision to amend the existing criteria or expand the current agreement is a matter for the Government following consultation with the UNHCR.
So far in 2020, no resettlements have taken place due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other international restrictions on travel. It is hoped to resume operations before the end of the current year and the IRPP staff in my Department are currently engaging with international partners to share a collective experience of how best to resume arrivals and the lessons learned to date.
I can also confirm that a total of 48 Syrian nationals have been granted refugee status to date during 2020. These were on foot of applications made under the International Protection Act 2015, and are assessed outside of the IRPP. All applicants for international protection are carefully interviewed and their cases are individually assessed by experienced caseworkers in the International Protection Office (IPO) who operate independently in their function under the International Protection Act 2015.
