Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 454: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the estimated number of illegal immigrants here; and if there is an estimated breakdown of the country of origin. [2862/07]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Persons in the State considered to be illegal immigrants, have come from a range of different circumstances, including: failing to present to an Immigration Officer at the time of arrival in the State, for the purposes of seeking permission to enter and remain in the State; obtaining a permission to enter the State by deception, through the production of bogus travel documents and/or the provision of false information; having entered the State lawfully and being allowed to remain in this jurisdiction until a specified date, has remained in the State beyond that date; having made application for refugee status and consequently been granted permission to enter the State, failed to comply with an Order to remove him/herself from State following rejection of such application.

An Garda Síochána has responsibility for conducting immigration controls at the frontiers of the State. However, fixed immigration controls conducted by Immigration Officers attached to An Garda Síochána at ports of entry, relate only to persons entering the State. As immigration controls are not undertaken at locations where people exit from the State, it is not possible to establish how many non-Irish nationals have remained in the State following expiration of a permission granted to enter and remain in Ireland for a specified period of time.

Persons illegally present in the State also include those in respect of whom Deportation Orders have issued, having had an application for refugee status refused. While there is a high level of evasion by those subject to Deportation Orders, the actual execution of Orders is at a level comparable to other EU Member States. However, in regard to those evading, there are clear indications that a significant proportion have in fact left the State. In 2006 the top five countries of origin of those seeking asylum in the State where: Nigeria, Sudan, Romania, Iraq and Iran.