Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Will the Minister of State make a statement on the recent and ongoing issuing of deportation orders and letters to asylum seekers requesting that they leave the country voluntarily or be threatened with deportation? Will he make that statement in the context of the global Covid-19 pandemic? Our obligations in terms of international protection have never been as important as they are now given the global emergency that is happening. We know that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration and the UN World Food Programme have all reported the massive exacerbation of pressure on vulnerable peoples throughout the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As of August, we know that 79 million people have been displaced globally because of the pandemic. These are the figures from the UNHCR. It is a global crisis.

I am extremely concerned that 469 deportation orders have been issued since March. I have received very concerned queries from a number of international protection applicants and from their communities. At a time we are told travel is to be restricted, the receipt of a letter telling people they need to leave the country or they will face the threat of deportation or they might be deported at any moment is deeply distressing not just for individuals but for their partners, their families and the communities in which they are involved. Many of those receiving these letters are very active in their communities. They are community volunteers. Some of them are extremely talented artists. We know that some of them are health workers or care workers. We have people who are part of the fabric of communities trying to help those communities through difficult circumstances and a letter like this adds great distress.

What is the rationale behind the issuing of such letters and deportation orders during a global emergency? What considerations have been given to the principle of non-refoulement, which is that people should not be deported into a situation where their lives may be threatened due to various factors such as their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or a political opinion, if it is the case that these categories would lead to somebody having difficulty accessing health services, or that the very process of being forced to travel during a pandemic could endanger somebody's life? There is a real concern about the absence of protection and the lack of access to necessary healthcare and protection if we are sending people into those circumstances and, in some cases, into very overburdened health systems.

The Taoiseach has indicated with regard to a particular case where two healthcare workers were issued with deportation orders that they would not be deported to Covid-19 hotspots. Is this the Taoiseach's statement or a departmental policy with regard to deportations? Are other considerations being made with regard to these orders and the risks of international travel?

Either by means of statutory instrument or legislation, I urge the Minister of State to indicate how he intends to engage on this issue? Will he look at a cessation of the issuing of deportation orders during the Covid-19 pandemic or at least during emergency periods such as we are in at present? Will he look at statutory instruments or legislation, including, potentially, the powers he might have under the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act? There might be an opportunity under those powers to take action on this issue and ensure we stop this practice.