Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 157: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the response he gave to the mass application by Iraqi Chaldean Christians for asylum here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16871/08]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 158: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views of the German Government's proposal to look favourably on Iraqi Christians applying for asylum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16872/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 157 and 158 together.

I am not aware of any mass application for asylum in this country, as suggested by the Deputy. However, the Deputy may wish to note that as at 31 March, 2008 there had been 61 applications for asylum received by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner from Iraqi nationals in 2008.

While I am aware that the German Government is putting in place its own national programme for Iraqi refugees, I am not aware of any formal proposals at European level in this regard at this time. The Deputy might be aware that Ireland is one of 22 countries worldwide and one of 9 European countries that participate in the UNHCR Refugee Resettlement Programme. In 2005 the Government increased the number of such refugees accepted annually from 10 cases (approximately 40 persons) per year to 200 persons per year. The decision as to the nationalities and source countries of refugees accepted by Ireland for resettlement is taken following close consultation between the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

For the Deputy's information, under the 2007 quota, 97 Karen refugees from Thailand and 71 Sudanese refugees from Uganda were accepted for resettlement and 180 Iranian Kurds from Jordan were accepted for resettlement under the 2006 quota. Some 20% of the quota is reserved for countries where selection missions cannot take place and refugees are accepted on a dossier basis.

No decision has yet been made in relation to the nationalities to be accepted under the Government's 2008 resettlement quota.