Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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40. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the engagement he has had since August 2021 with the Irish Embassy in Abu Dhabi with regard to the facilitation of visa applications from Afghan persons seeking to leave Afghanistan and in particular with regard to relaxing the usual evidentiary burden in relation to the provision of original documentation such as birth certificates and passports in support of these applications in view of the current risks associated with obtaining or transporting original personal documentation in Afghanistan; if the Irish Embassy in Abu Dhabi is currently accepting copies of these documents in support of visa applications by persons from Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47170/21]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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55. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his Department is still assisting asylum seekers that are trying to exit Afghanistan either directly or through a third country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46229/21]

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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56. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the situation relating to Afghani refugees; and if Ireland plans to increase its allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47163/21]

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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71. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland will increase the number of places on the Irish Refugee Protection Programme for Afghan nationals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47190/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 40, 55, 56 and 71 together.

Last month I announced, together with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and the Minister of State for Law Reform, Youth Justice and Immigration, that places would be allocated to Afghan nationals under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme.  The programme was created in 2015 as part of Ireland’s response to the migration crisis in central and southern Europe. It allows a predetermined number of vulnerable people in need of international protection to be granted refugee status in Ireland.

Places on the programme have been allocated to approximately 370 Afghan nationals, some 150 of whom have travelled to Ireland.  Priority was given to those working on human rights issues, including the rights of women and girls, and minorities, as well as those working with NGOs and European and international organisations.  The operation of this programme is managed  by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.  The Department of Foreign Affairs is, through our diplomatic network, including in Abu Dhabi and Ankara, liaising with relevant authorities in the region and countries in Europe in relation to transit routes. The Department of Justice is providing practical support by way of issuing visas, or visa waivers, to facilitate travel to Ireland. That Department is also focused on processing applications for Afghan family members of Irish citizens and Afghan nationals living in Ireland.

The Department of Justice is currently reviewing all international protection applications on hand from Afghan nationals with a view to expediting their progress, in line with updated advice provided by UNHCR in recent weeks. These applications are already prioritised, as agreed with UNHCR. The processing of these applications takes full account of whether a person will be in danger if not provided with a permission to remain here.

It is a matter for the Department of Justice to determine which documents must be submitted in support of visa applications or visa waivers and the extent, if any, to which these may be relaxed. 

The Government at its meeting earlier this week, approved the introduction of a new Afghanistan Admission Programme whereby current or former Afghan nationals resident in Ireland can apply for close family members in Afghanistan or who have recently fled Afghanistan to certain countries to be granted temporary residence in Ireland. I very much welcome this new proposal from my colleague, the Minister for Justice, which will create a tailored reunification programme and enable Ireland to better respond to the situation in Afghanistan.