Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

269. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the Afghan Admission Programme; and her plans to extend it for persons wishing to leave that jurisdiction. [53920/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department remains focused on processing applications for family reunification made under all admission avenues, including the Afghan Admissions Programme for family members of Afghan nationals living in Ireland.

It is recognised that all applicants for family reunification would wish to have a decision on their application made without delay. However, the nature of the process is such that, these cases are taking time to process. All possible efforts are being made to bring family reunification applications, across the range of avenues open to applicants, to a swift conclusion.

My Department is considering all applications to the AAP compassionately, and has made contact with various applicants who have not submitted the full required documentation to give them another opportunity to do so. The information required to apply is to ensure that the Programme benefits its intended beneficiaries, and that my Department is satisfied as to the identities of both the proposers and their family members coming to Ireland.

Although the Afghan Admissions Programme is now closed to new applications there are a number of other options already in place through existing immigration programmes that have also been availed of by members of the Afghan community in Ireland. Since the beginning of August 2021 to 19 October 2022, a total of 140 join family visas have been approved for Afghan nationals and 94 family reunification applications have been approved and we continue to also process these applications sympathetically. Afghan people have also been allocated places under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP), which is under the remit of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. My Department provides the visas to facilitate their travel to Ireland and almost 600 visa waiver letters have been issued to date.

This is a difficult situation for our Afghan community and their loved ones. I would like to assure the Afghan community that applications under this Programme continue to be assessed by my Department in a pragmatic and humanitarian manner with a view to issuing decisions as soon as possible.