Written answers

Thursday, 22 February 2007

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Proposed Legislation

6:00 pm

Photo of Willie PenroseWillie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 48: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, in regard to his recent speech to a conference hosted by the Law Society, he will outline his proposals for the introduction of detention centres for what he described as high risk asylum seekers; the nature of the proposed detention centres; the reason he is bringing forward this proposal at a time when the number of asylum seekers has fallen to a ten year low; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6846/07]

Photo of Michael McDowellMichael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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As I outlined in my address of 27 January 2007 at a public interest seminar in the Law Society on the soon to be published Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2007, I am considering including in this Bill provisions for detaining certain protection claimants, with a view to processing their claims quickly and efficiently to finality.

Processing certain categories of protection applicants in a closed centre with all the necessary services on site — first instance decision, appeal, legal services and interpretation as well as accommodation and other supports — will mean speedier decision making and, of course, the faster integration of genuine refugees into our society. For those claims which, after a fair and speedy consideration, turn out to be without foundation, as in the region of some 90% do, the removal from the State of the claimants will happen as soon as possible thereafter.

This is unlike the present situation whereby large numbers of applicants who are admitted to the State solely for the purpose of having their asylum applications processed, and who are found after a fair and efficient determination process to have no protection needs, simply fail to turn up for deportation or to avail of a voluntary return alternative. The taxpayer is investing large amounts of resources in processing these claims as well as in the provision of accommodation and other support services.

The same high standards of procedural fairness will apply as to normal investigations and no-one will be sent away from the State who has a genuine entitlement to protection here. As I indicated, all the established appeals procedures and services such as access to interpretation facilities and legal assistance will remain in place.

I am mindful of the fact that UNHCR figures illustrate that an enormous proportion of the world's actual refugees are hosted by poverty-stricken countries next door to countries where persecution and civil strife have caused them to flee. Many of those who come to Ireland to claim protection do not come from such trouble-spots and are found not to be subject to persecution, but have paid people-smugglers to come here and make claims that turn out to be spurious. This does a disservice to Ireland as host; but more importantly, it does a disservice to those who are in genuine need of Ireland's protection because such groundless claims only seem to slow down the system for genuine applicants. I believe that detention in limited circumstances will both increase the efficiency of our system and help protect the integrity of that system.

There are similar detention mechanisms currently operating with success in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. A more detailed outline of my legislative proposals will follow in due course and in the normal way.

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