Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has confirmed to Independent TD Carol Nolan that the introduction of exit checks in Ireland to monitor levels of compliance among persons subject to deportation orders is “not proposed” as this would require “the installation of border infrastructure on the island of Ireland.”
Deputy Nolan was provided with the information in a parliamentary reply from Minister McEntee after she sought data on number of people currently subject to a deportation order who have not been deported because their home country refuses to take them back.
The Independent TD also sought information on whether or not such persons continue to live in the State and if they remain capable of accessing the labour market and social protection payments. No response was provided to both requests.
Minister McEntee in her reply did state that the Repatriation Unit of her Department and the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) has an ongoing policy of engagement and liaison with the embassies of relevant states with a view to making the process of return as speedy and efficient as possible and while there may be instances where the country of origin has outlined particular stipulations ahead of a return (e.g. agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding) “there are no current cases where a country of origin has refused to accept such a return.”
Deputy Nolan slammed what she said was the failure of the government to put in place infrastructure to monitor complaince in regard to whether those subject to a deportation order had actually left, saying “voluntary compliance” would “remain the norm”.
“What the minister is effectively admitting is that under her government, and future Fine Gael/Fianna Fail governments, voluntary compliance with deportation orders will remain the norm and no investment will be made in terms of infrastructure capable of monitoring how many people who are here illegally have actually left the state,” said Deputy Nolan.
“This is an extraordinary admission and one which commits this and future governments to a never-ending guessing game about how many people, who have been through due process, still remain here without permission. It completely undermines and makes a mockery of out of any claim made by the minister or the government that we have a robust evidence-based deportation process, ” concluded Deputy Nolan.
Minister McEntee said that “enforced deportation operations are complex and costly. They can involve surveillance operations, detentions in custody, legal challenges, and the costs of flights cost. Alternatives to forced removals are therefore typically preferential and my Department provides assistance through a voluntary return programme to some who will benefit from some assistance to reintegrate in their home country. The number of voluntary returns facilitated by my Department has increased by 292% for the same period in 2023,” she said.
Analysis of the deportation orders issued, effected and revoked by Matt Treacy has shown that “while there were 790 orders to leave issued in the second quarter of this year, there were 175 deportations effected. For the first 6 months of 2024 there were 1,070 orders made but the number of deportations carried out was 280 or 26%, almost exactly the same as the EU average. Likewise, the percentage of deportations made in 2023 equaled just 27% of the orders issued.”
Dr Treacy also revealed that information supplied to a Gript reader in response to a Freedom of Information request shows that the number of deportation orders revoked by the Minister for Justice between the beginning of 2021 and August 16 this year amounted to over 61% of the total number of deportation orders issued over the same period.
Minister McEntee told Carol Nolan that the EU Migration Pact “will introduce a more comprehensive, streamlined, and efficient approach to asylum and migration both in Ireland and across the EU.”
“It will speed up the processing of international protection applications so we have a firm and fair system. It will make it easier to return those who are found not to be entitled to protection. It will introduce greater security checking of applicants. It will reduce the volume of secondary movement and make it easier to transfer applicants to the member states responsible. It will reduce the time people spend in State-provided accommodation and support the return of people found not to be entitled to protection.”