Written answers

Tuesday, 25 March 2014

Department of Justice and Equality

Refugee Status Applications

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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808. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of the recent Government decision on admitting some Syrian refugees if he will clarify the procedures for accepting applications in this context; if Syrian refugees now in Turkey who have family members who have acquired Irish citizenship are entitled to apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14192/14]

Photo of Alan ShatterAlan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I recently announced the introduction of the Syrian Humanitarian Admission Programme (SHAP) which focuses on offering temporary Irish residence to vulnerable persons who are present in Syria, or who have fled from Syria to surrounding countries, including for example Turkey, since the outbreak of the civil war, who have close family members residing in Ireland. The Programme allows naturalised Irish citizens of Syrian birth and Syrian nationals already lawfully resident in the State to make an application for vulnerable close family members to join them in Ireland on a temporary basis for up to two years. These are persons who are considered by their sponsoring family member present in Ireland to be most at risk. A sponsor may be a single person or the head of a family unit. Persons admitted under the programme will be entitled to work, establish a business, or invest in the State. A key condition of the programme is that these persons should not become a burden on the State. If these family members cannot find employment the onus will be on the sponsors to support them during their time in Ireland.

I am informed by INIS that details of the SHAP application procedure and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are available on the INIS website www.inis.gov.ie and that the final date for the submission of applications under the Programme is 5pm on Friday 25 April 2014. Queries in relation to this programme can also be made via email to SHAP@justice.ie.

The Deputy may wish to note that queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been established specifically for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.

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