At least 13,521 people arrived in State without documentation since 2018

Figures released to Mattie McGrath TD show that 13,521 people arrived in the State without documentation since 2018 – but that figure only covers Dublin Airport because data on this subject is not available in respect of such other ports of entry.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice previously told RTÉ’s Prime Time that: “it is almost exclusively the case that those who present without documentation claim asylum”.

Deputy McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of individuals who have arrived in Ireland at any port of entry, including Dublin Airport, without valid travel documents, despite presenting them at their point of departure, for each year from 2018 to date in 2024.

The total that arrived at Dublin Airport in that period without the necessary documents according to Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, in that period was 13,521. She said that the Border Management Unit (BMU) of the Department of Justice is responsible for frontline Immigration at Dublin Airport only, and that, as such, the figures reflected the position at Dublin Airport only

“Other airports and other ports of entry are the responsibility of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB). Data on this subject is not available in respect of such other ports of entry,” the Minister said.

The arrival of almost 5,000 persons with ‘false or no passports’ in 2022 became the cause of controversy, since all persons would have required a passport or relevant documents to board the plane. A further 3,285 arrived in 2023.

Minister McEntee told Deputy McGrath that “immigration officials conduct passport checks, and run operations as required, to ensure passengers arriving in the State are properly documented in accordance with Section 11 of the Immigration Act 2004”.

However, information released to Independent TD, Carol Nolan, by the Department of Justice revealed that – contrary to what some politicians and campaigners had claimed – while fingerprints of asylum claimants were taken, no checks against a criminal database are carried out.

In relation to missing passports and documentation, the Minister told Deputy McGrath that the BMU and the GNIB are “working closely with airlines on a range of measures to ensure that passengers have the appropriate travel documentation when boarding”.

“Immigration officials are available 24/7 to assist airlines with queries in relation to immigration matters. In addition to providing advice to airlines on specific queries, training is provided to airline ground staff on current travel documentation requirements to help them reduce the number of passengers boarding flights without correct documentation,” she said.

She also said that the GNIB issued 958 carrier liability fines. in 2022 – and to end November 2023, GNIB issued 918 Career Liability fines. “Each fine is €1,500, rising to €3,000 for each offence if it not paid in 28 days,” she said.

A previous FOI request by Matt Treacy of Gript found that more than 75% of persons arriving without documentation were allowed to claim asylum rather than being sent back to where they came from.

The number of persons occupying publicly-funded asylum seekers accommodation has increased more than five-fold since 2018 – rising from 5,096 to 27,494 in that period.

Last week, a Syrian man arrested at Dublin Airport after he failed to produce a passport on a flight from Luxembourg was jailed by Judge Treasa Kelly for two months.

Justice Kelly said she was sure that Ramzi Maruan , who had sought asylum in Bulgaria before coming to Ireland, had identity documents or a passport when he boarded the plane in Luxembourg.

“There has to be a deterrent; people cannot come into the country without their ID in those situations where they had ID leaving, and it seems they have lost it in the meantime,” she said.

The GNIB had no proof of Mauan’s identity, and the court heard that the information regarding identity that was before the court was what he – the accused – had provided.

Two others, Ahmed Dahir, 20, from Somalia, and Emmanuel Kodaci, 20, from Albania were also charged with breaching immigration laws by arriving at Dublin Airport without identification. The court heard that Mr Kodaci claimed that he had been told Brussels was a “very dangerous city”.