Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to highlight again the fact that the Government is not properly controlling immigration at Dublin Airport, and at all other entry points, which has grave negative consequences. Arriving at an Irish entry point without documentation breaks the law, and no one is being prosecuted. The Government is misleading the public by praising the benefits of immigration while allowing people without proper ID into the country through a flawed system. This intentional confusion aims to silence criticism.

While we all support genuine asylum seekers fleeing persecution, the Government's approach makes it hard to distinguish between genuine cases and those exploiting the system. Many asylum seekers are economic migrants, not fleeing in fear of their lives, leading to what is called asylum tourism. Despite being deemed a safe country, the likes of Georgia is sending many asylum seekers to Ireland. The lack of a robust verification process poses a threat to safety and compromises the integrity of the asylum process. The Government claims that all asylum seekers are fingerprinted and checked for criminal records but this is patently untrue and misleading.

Some 13,521 people seeking asylum have been allowed into Dublin Airport since 2018 without a shred of ID or any documentation. This figure has been confirmed by the Minister for Justice in a reply to a parliamentary question from me recently. This is a very serious matter, yet there is no investigation, consequence or prosecution. Allowing unidentified individuals to arrive here without consequences for destroying their travel ID not only results in exploitation of Irish resources, which are entirely funded by the taxpayer, but also undermines social cohesion. Despite the consequences, this issue is getting worse not better. The numbers arriving at Dublin Airport without any form of ID, despite needing it to board the aircraft on which they arrive here, is skyrocketing under the Government.

The figures paint a concerning picture of lax immigration controls and serious security risks. For example, in 2018 some 895 individuals arrived without any shred of ID. The numbers continued to rise in 2019, with 1,579 undocumented arrivals. Even during the challenging times in 2020 when travel was significantly reduced due to the pandemic, 712 individuals arrived with no proper documentation. That is only through Dublin Airport. In 2021, despite ongoing restrictions 2,082 individuals arrived without travel ID. In 2022 a staggering 4,968 undocumented arrivals were allowed in here that year. Last year, there were 3,285. What is going on? These incidents are not being followed up. The figures highlight that since the Government came to office, 11,047 individuals arrived at Dublin Airport without a shred of ID.

That is only Dublin Airport, as I said. The Taoiseach can make all the statements he likes but this is a simple fact. These individuals are being absorbed into the IPAS system. Some may have criminal records - they do because they broke the law by coming in illegally. It is just as if they did nothing wrong.

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