Seanad debates

Wednesday, 18 December 2002

Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage.

 

While I appreciate that Senators are anxious to facilitate asylum seekers in some way, I have indicated publicly that one of the balancing mechanisms I intend to put in place is that Ireland will accept programme refugees under United Nations arrangements. That will involve people about whose status there will be no doubt, because they will be presented to this country by the United Nations as genuine refugees who will not have to go through all the procedures of making applications to commissioners or going through legal processes of appeal and so on. If I were to accept this amendment, the effect would be that a person could board any flight to Ireland, without any documentation, subject only to paying the airline in question and stating that he or she intends, or is considering, making an application for asylum on arrival in Dublin. Rather than using the term I was about to use, I will confine myself to saying that is somewhat unrealistic.

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