Seanad debates
Wednesday, 29 January 2003
Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage (Resumed).
The amendment I will bring forward on Report Stage will make clear that the provision will apply in respect of paragraph (a) of section 9(4), that is, where the applicant leaves or attempts to leave the State without the permission of the Minister. For the same reason, I will also be bringing forward a similar amendment to the proposed new section 16(2B), as inserted by paragraph (e)(ii) of this amendment. I want to make it clear, therefore, that engaging in work will not be a ground upon which the application will come to an end because it might be that a person for some reason – out of foolishness or ignorance of the law, for example – would be tempted into a casual act of employment in breach of the provisions and it might be unfair in those circumstances to say that that brings down the guillotine on that application in its entirety. However, if somebody leaves the State without permission, that is an end of his or her application. There cannot be a situation where people can come to Ireland, make an application and then go to Britain or somewhere else without informing the Minister or obtaining his or her consent to do so and still claim to be an asylum applicant in Ireland.
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