Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 June 2025
628. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of applicants that were successful for asylum or protection that submitted no identification from their country of origin in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. [32484/25]
View answerIt is a central priority for me as Minister that our immigration laws are robust and enforced.
The establishment of a person’s identity and nationality is an important feature of our immigration process in general. When it comes to international protection applicants, each person is requested to provide personal documentation to the International Protection Office at the time of application, to attest to their identity, nationality and date and place of birth. Many applicants are in a position to provide documents but some are not.
Information provided by applicants concerning their identity are recorded on the applicant’s file but are not stored in a manner which allows detailed data to be extracted along the lines sought by the Deputy.
All applicants that enter the international protection process are fingerprinted and photographed. These fingerprints are checked against EURODAC, an EU database which stores the fingerprints of asylum applicants and those who have been found to cross borders illegally.
In addition to checks specifically on those applying for international protection, each and every person arriving at a port of entry in the state is subject to Schengen Information System (SIS) check. Under this system Ireland sends and receives SIS II information (termed ‘Alerts’) on persons and objects; for example persons wanted for criminal purposes, missing persons and objects which have been stolen or are wanted as evidence for a judicial purpose.
Finally, any person being considered for a grant of status (refugee status, subsidiary protection or permission to remain) will have a character and conduct check carried out in respect of them before any such status is conferred on them.
