Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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213. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons who agreed to voluntary repatriation under section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 in 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; if they were asylum related or non-asylum related; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20862/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department, in conjunction with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), offers voluntary assisted return and reintegration programmes for asylum seekers, failed asylum seekers and other illegally present migrants.

Asylum seekers or failed asylum seekers who have not had a Deportation Order made against them are returned under the Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP). Other illegally present migrants are returned under the Irregular Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (IVARRP), which is co-funded by the EU on a 75/25 basis.

Under these programmes, the flights home for such persons are paid and where required, the IOM will assist in securing travel documents and give assistance at the airport at departure and arrival. Persons availing of these programmes can apply for reintegration assistance to allow them to start up a business or enter further education or training when they are back in their country of origin. This takes the form of an 'in-kind' rather than a cash payment.

In addition to the two IOM programmes referred to above, my Department also assists people who are illegally present in the State and wish to return home voluntarily by covering the cost of the flight, if necessary, and assisting in securing travel documents.

The statistical information requested by the Deputy is set-out in the tables. Please note that the below are a combination of IOM and Departmental assisted.