Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 488: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of asylum applications which have been deemed withdrawn in 2008, due to their failure to inform the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service of their change of address; the figures to date in 2009; the action taken to trace these persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29256/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Immigration Act 2003, which commenced on the 15th September, 2003, contained a number of key changes to the Refugee Act, 1996 which enabled the processing of asylum applications to be speeded up and enhanced our ability to deal with abusive applications. These changes included the imposition on applicants of a clear statutory duty to actively pursue their asylum applications and co-operate at all times with the processing agencies or face having their application deemed withdrawn.

An application can be deemed withdrawn, amongst other reasons, where an applicant fails to co-operate with the Refugee Applications Commissioner, or fails to notify the Commissioner of his or her postal address or change of address. Where such situations arise the ORAC recommends to the Minister that such applications should be deemed withdrawn under the provisions of the 2003 Act. Section 13(2) of the Refugee Act (as amended) provides that there is no right of appeal against a recommendation to deem an application withdrawn. Where an application is deemed to be withdrawn, deportation proceedings are initiated on behalf of the Minister by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service.

Statistics are not maintained in a way which distinguishes between applications deemed withdrawn on the basis of applicants failing to notify the Refugee Applications Commissioner of their postal address or change of address and applications deemed withdrawn for other reasons. In 2008 a total of 632 such asylum applications were deemed withdrawn, and to the end of June in 2009, 308 asylum applications were deemed withdrawn.