Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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434. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of asylum applications for 2016 to 2022 where it has become apparent that the applicant has destroyed their travel or identity documents on arrival in Ireland; if, as a matter of Irish or international law, the destruction of travel or identity documents is a ground on which an application may be refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21200/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The State is required to examine the application of anyone who presents at the borders of the State, or is in the State, and indicates that they wish to make an application for international protection. This is in accordance with our obligations under international and EU asylum law and the Government takes those commitments very seriously.

My Department takes all necessary steps to manage the international protection process efficiently and effectively, while ensuring the integrity of those processes is maintained at all times. The International Protection Office (IPO) of my Department is responsible for examining all international protection applications received. The staff of the IPO are independent by law in the exercise of their international protection functions.

The establishment of an applicant’s identity and nationality is an important feature of every immigration process and this is especially so in the context of persons who enter the Irish State for the purposes of making a claim for international protection. Each application for international protection is examined in detail on its individual merits, taking all factors into account.

At the commencement of the international protection process, each applicant has their fingerprints checked against the Eurodac system which allows officials to establish if the applicant has previously applied for international protection in another Member State.

In terms of establishing an international protection applicant’s identity and nationality, the primary onus is on the relevant applicant to provide documentary evidence to attest to their identity and nationality. This would ordinarily take the form of biometric documentation which can be independently verified

Where an international protection applicant claims to not hold identity-related documentation, the process of establishing their identity and nationality can be more difficult. In such circumstances, the best available alternative documentation may have to be accepted as evidence of the person’s identity and nationality.

I can also advise the Deputy that where a person receives a declaration of refugee status or a subsidiary protection declaration on the basis of what is ultimately found to be false or misleading information, section 52 of the International Protection Act 2015 contains a provision under which any such status granted can be revoked, following due process.

The International Protection Office (IPO) does not collate statistics relating to applications for international protection based on whether such applicants were refused leave to land, or whether a person had valid documentation upon arrival at a port of entry.

However, to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have sought information from the Border Management Unit of my Department on the number of persons that have arrived at Dublin Airport seeking asylum without the necessary travel documents.

*Data for previous years in not available. Data recording was modified during 2020 to distinguish the cohort of arrivals arriving undocumented from the total number refused leave to land.

Immigration Officials in my Department are actively engaging with airport authorities and airlines at a senior level to underscore the importance of passengers possessing correct documentation and to provide support in helping them to reduce the number of passengers boarding flights without the correct documentation.

The Border Management Unit and the GNIB are working closely with airlines on a range of measures to ensure that passengers have such documentation when boarding. The Department have engaged with 19 separate airlines to date. Border Management Unit officials are available 24/7 to assist airlines with queries they have in relation to immigration matters.

These measures have had an effect and figures for Q1 2023 show a reduction in the number of passengers arriving without documents.