Matt Shanahan warns of immigration abuses at Dublin Airport
Matt Shanahan raised concerns about abuses in the immigration system, citing thousands of undocumented arrivals at Dublin Airport and a high number indicating intentions to claim asylum. He urged that more must be done to shore up borders and immigration policy and said he had written to the Minister for Justice and engaged with the Minister for Children on accommodation for Ukrainian refugees.
Undocumented arrivals and asylum indicators
He cited figures provided to him: in the first nine months of the year 3,705 people arrived undocumented into Dublin Airport. Of a total 5,662 persons presenting who will refuse leave, 4,969 persons indicated an intention to claim asylum.
Correspondence with the Minister for Justice
He said he had written to the Minister for Justice about people leaving other European jurisdictions on travel documents and arriving in Dublin without travel documents to seek refugee status. The Minister's response acknowledged that a significant number held status in another member state and were likely to have travelled here on conventional travel documents.
Policy actions and European Convention measures
He recalled actions already taken in respect of people coming from some EU countries where documents were dispensed upon arrival and applicants later sought asylum. He said some aspects of the European Convention were disapplied where an abuse was identified and highlighted.
Calls for stronger border and accommodation measures
He argued that the evidence of misuse shows a need to "shore up our borders and shore up our immigration policy" and noted his engagement with the Minister for Children and the Department to secure accommodation in Waterford and the South East for Ukrainian refugees.
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As you know, I'm someone who has engaged with the Minister for Children and the Department in terms of trying to secure accommodation in Waterford and the South East for Ukrainian refugees, but my question relates to abuses occurring within our immigration system. I wrote to the Minister for Justice recently regarding the status of people who are leaving other European jurisdictions on travel documents and arriving into Dublin airport with no travel documents and looking for refugee status. The Minister responded to me that in the first nine months of this year 3,705 people have arrived undocumented into Dublin airport and that in the first nine months of a total of 5,662 persons presenting who will refuse leave, 4,969 persons indicated an intention to claim asylum. She says it is clear that a significant number of hold status in another member's state and are likely to have travelled here on a conventional travel document. We need to do more to shore up our borders and shore up our immigration policy. I think there are issues there that you have highlighted and we took some actions already in respect of people coming from some EU countries with documents that were dispensed when they arrived there and then applied for asylum. Particularly in terms of the European refugee and we actually disapplied some aspects of the European Convention in respect of that. Because an abuse was identified and highlighted and yes we have to be vigilant that there is not that level of abusive existing systems going on. I don't I think there's any more than anything. We아 ну there's plenty of sidewalks looking at the 잠깐만 start. We theory about the alleine on the chasing side. We cerveau stop in terms of freedom.
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