Written answers
Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Department of Justice and Equality
Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children
Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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128. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her Department can provide data on the number of unaccompanied minors who have arrived at Dublin Airport for each of the years 2019 to date; the procedures followed by her Department or the border management unit and the Garda National Immigration Bureau when an unaccompanied minor child enters the state without correct identification or no identification; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18251/24]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Both I and my Department takes very seriously the role it has in protecting the best interests and welfare of unaccompanied minors arriving at ports of entry, in the international protection process and the wider immigration system.
The information sought by the Deputy with regard to the number of unaccompanied minors (UM) who arrived at Dublin Airport and indicated they wished to register as Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) or wished to apply for International Protection (IP) is set out in the following table.
All unaccompanied people under the age of 18 who arrive at Dublin Airport are managed in the first instance with a focus on child safeguarding. Any person suspected of being an unaccompanied minor is referred by immigration officials to the Child and Family Agency (Tusla).
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 (end of March) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IP UM | 50 | 18 | 26 | 97 | 70 | 12 |
| BOTPs UM | 165 | 127 | 23 | |||
| Total | 50 | 18 | 26 | 262 | 197 | 35 |
The table may include people that were subsequently deemed to be adults following referral to Tusla.
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