Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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260. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the avenues available to an Afghan refugee who is also an unaccompanied minor, and is currently in Greece and cannot return to Afghanistan for fear of being murdered on grounds of their religious and sexual orientation to seek asylum here. [3021/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I refer the Deputy to the response provided to question (PQ Ref No. 2580/18) on 18 January, 2018 which sets out the position. In summary, a person in Greece who wishes to seek asylum should apply for International Protection to the Greek authorities.

The Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) was established by Government Decision on 10 September 2015 as a direct response to the humanitarian crisis that developed in Southern Europe as a consequence of mass migration from areas of conflict in the Middle East and Africa.   Ireland is the only EU country that specifically chose to voluntarily opt in to participate in the EU relocation programme and the IRPP was the body responsible for delivering on our commitments in that regard. While the EU relocation programme ran until September 2017, Ireland continues to transfer asylum seekers from Greece who have been approved and who fall within an eligible nationality.  Under the provisions of the EU relocation programme, persons considered for relocation had to be from countries with an EU-wide recognition rate for international protection of at least 75%.  As Afghanistan did not meet this criterion, persons from there would not have been eligible for transfer to any other EU Member State, including Ireland, under the relocation programme.

In common with other EU Member States, Ireland is not in a position to accept direct requests for asylum from individuals in another state.