Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. It was reported in the UK press last year that migrants across the UK are being preyed upon by immigration advisers and solicitors who are taking advantage of the lack of protections for advice seekers. These rogue practitioners are charging extortionate fees for free application forms and are putting in spurious applications and appeals that have no chance of success. These criminals and confidence tricksters exploit vulnerable persons by extorting large sums of money from them, often under threat of deportation if they fail to pay up. One charity found that of the clients it provided support for in 2021, 41% had been scammed by a rogue solicitor or by someone posing as an immigration adviser. We would be fools to think that this is not happening here. Even the Minister of State's response says that regulations are required. There are no regulations and no criteria under which persons can identify as an immigration consultant, and therein lies the problem. What does the Minister of State think our Government's response should be to that? Do we need to have some sort of a licensing arrangement or agreement in place for immigration consultants in this country?