An Offaly TD has said that the age-verification processes within the asylum system are “not merely deficient but dangerously unreliable” and called for a “complete overhaul” of the State’s approach to the issue.
Independent Carol Nolan made her remarks as it was reported today that Gardaí “now suspect that a male charged as a juvenile with the murder of a Ukrainian boy in north Dublin last month is an adult.”
The Irish Independent said this morning that it “has now learnt that inquiries have led investigating gardaí to believe that the suspect is in fact an adult male and not a juvenile”.
“Examinations into his background, including procuring a birth certificate from relatives, have indicated that he was over the age of 18 at the time of the incident.
Gardaí are understood to have indicated in court recently that the matter should now proceed before the adult courts, although further documentation has been requested before a formal decision is made on this. “
A 17-year-old Ukrainian, Vadym Davydenko, died after being subjected to a “frenzied attack” and suffering multiple stab wounds to his head, eyes, chest and hands inside an apartment in Grattan Wood, Donaghmede, on October 15.
Mr Davydenko had been in Ireland for four days and the apartment was a Tusla facility for unaccompanied minors who are seeking asylum.
The person who has been charged with the murder of Mr Davydenko is Somalian and attended his second court hearing on October 21st surrounded by five gardaí in helmets and protective gear.
Deputy Nolan said that: “It is becoming more and more self evident that our age verification processes within the international protection system are not merely deficient, but dangerously unreliable. We need a complete overhaul of how we approach this issue. If in doubt, keep them out, of child services”.
Aontú Leader, Peadar Tóibín, this morning called on the Minister for Children to provide answers as to why the suspect in the murder of Vadym Davydenko was placed in a children’s residential care unit.
“It has come to our knowledge that the suspect in the murder of Vadym Davydenko may well be an adult. We understand that there is documentary evidence to show that the suspect is an adult. We also understand that there are physical tests being undertaken on the suspect that may well show that he is an adult. If this is the case there are serious questions to be answered as to the ability of the International Protection system to identify those who seek asylum in this country. We are being told by the IPAS services that the identity and the background of each individual is known. That is clearly not the case,” he said.
“There are serious questions here also for the Minister for Children. This is not the first time adults have been placed in accommodation for unaccompanied minors. There is a massive child protection question here. If any other organisation were placing adults in children’s accommodation Tusla themselves would have major problems with it,” he said.
In August 2024, it was revealed that the Department of Children had “flagged concerns” that “in some cases, adults were claiming to be under 18 years of age in initial interviews with staff from the International Protection Office”.
Some adult asylum seekers may be claiming to be minors when arriving in the Republic, adding to “severe demands” on an already under-strain system for unaccompanied child asylum seekers, internal department briefings have warned.
Briefing notes from department officials state that these asylum seekers were later “assessed” to be adults, “or report afterwards that they are adults”. This was “adding to the already severe demands” on the system, the briefing said.
When a person claiming asylum alleged they were a minor, the preliminary interview with international protection staff was suspended and the person was “immediately referred” to Tusla, the child and family agency, the briefing stated. There was a need for international protection officials to conduct “a more in-depth interview” before the case was handed over to the Tusla team responsible for unaccompanied minors, it stated.
The briefing notes were released under FOI to Aontú’s Peadar Tóibín. At the time, Tusla said that the assessment by social workers of asylum seekers who claim to be under 18 looked at their journey, family network and personal and social development. “In some instances, the young person is determined not to be eligible, but wherever doubt exists the benefit of the doubt is given,” a spokesman said.
Tusla said last year that in 2023, 40% (171/432) of unaccompanied minors admitted to care/accommodated in 2023 were from Ukraine. The remaining 60% (261/432) of children were from about 30 different countries with the most common being Somalia, Afghanistan, Egypt, Algeria, Congo, Pakistan and Nigeria.
On December 31, 2024, there were 448 unaccompanied international protection applicant/Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection children/young people accommodated in Tusla supported services.
And they said that “approximately three quarters of newly arrived unaccompanied children are aged 16 and 17 on arrival to Ireland.”
Deputy Nolan last year asked then Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, to provide data on the number of cases involving age-disputed minors identified by the international protection services and by any other relevant body under the aegis of her Department dealing with international protection, asylum and refugee claims.
“Where it appears to the International Protection Office (IPO) that an applicant is a minor, the person in question is referred to Child and Family Agency (TUSLA). TUSLA undertakes an assessment for eligibility for services and, for those deemed to be unaccompanied minors, TUSLA support the young persons in making an international protection application,” the Minister responded.
“There have been cases where TUSLA have deemed a young person not eligible for services and the young person has then completed an application for international protection as an adult. In some instances additional information comes to light during this application process which requires a further age assessment to be undertaken. This would happen, for example, where evidence of their minority is provided through identity documents. The IPO databases do not allow for reporting on cases where the ages of applicants were, or are, under dispute”.