Written answers

Wednesday, 27 June 2018

Department of Justice and Equality

Immigration Controls

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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158. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons that have attempted to gain illegal entry to the State in each of the past four years; the actions taken in response to such attempts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28112/18]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, every State has a duty to protect its borders and to refuse entry to those persons not entitled to enter the State. This is a fundamental exercise of State sovereignty necessary to protect the security of the State and to prevent illegal immigration.

The exercise of powers in this area is subject to the law and respect for individual rights. In enforcing the law in this respect, Ireland is no different from other countries who also remove individuals who have no lawful right to enter or remain in their territory.

Over the last four years the number of persons refused permission to enter the State is as follows:

2017: 3,7462016: 3,9512015: 3,4502014: 2,473

In general, a person may be refused permission to enter the State on one or more of the twelve grounds set out in Section 4 (3) of the Immigration Act 2004, as amended by the International Protection Act 2015. Every person refused permission to enter the State is served with a notice in which the reason, or reasons, for refusing an application for permission to enter the State is set out.

A person refused a permission to enter the State may be removed from the State. Section 5 of the Immigration Act 2003 (as amended by the International Protection Act 2015), contains the main provisions dealing with the removal from the State of persons refused permission to enter the State. It specifies that a person to whom this section applies may be arrested by an immigration officer or a member of An Garda Síochána and detained in a prescribed place of detention for the purpose of facilitating their removal from the State, which must be as soon as is practicable. In the vast majority of cases persons are returned on the next available flight or vessel within a short period of time. Others are granted a temporary permission to enter the State pending removal usually on the condition they report to their nearest Garda station. Removals are generally operational matters for the Garda National Immigration Bureau, who work closely with officials of my Department in arranging the necessary travel documents and other papers required.

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