As you will recall, the information was not available at the time of answering. I have now received the information requested from the Garda Commissioner.
The Border Management Unit (BMU) of my Department has responsibility for frontline immigration duties at Dublin Airport only. Other airports and other ports of entry, including the land border with Northern Ireland, are the responsibility of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).Under Section 4 of the Immigration Act 2004, an Immigration Officer must determine whether a non-EEA national should be granted leave to land and gain entry to the State. In performing their duties, an Officer is required to consider all of the circumstances of the individual at the time of entry. Section 4(3) of that Act sets out the full range of grounds on which a passenger may be refused.
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.
When a person is refused leave to land at Dublin airport, the Immigration Officer will arrange for the person to be referred to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) for removal from the State. The priority is to return them on the next available return flight to the last point of embarkation.
If a person indicates or is identified as being in need of international protection they are admitted to the international protection process. However, they will still be recorded as a refusal of leave to land.
The table below provides the total number of persons who have been refused leave to land in 2023 and in Quarter 1 2024. A breakdown by nationality is provided in the attached document.
Table 1: Persons who have been refused leave to land
|
Year
|
2023
|
2024Q1
|
|
Border with Northern Ireland
|
67
|
37
|
|
Cobh
|
21
|
|
|
Cork Airport
|
124
|
25
|
|
Cork Port
|
<10
|
<10
|
|
Dublin Port
|
228
|
55
|
|
Dublin Airport
|
5,826
|
1,339
|
|
Kerry Airport
|
<10
|
<10
|
|
Knock International Airport
|
22
|
|
|
Limerick
|
<10
|
|
|
Other
|
<10
|
<10
|
|
Rosslare Port
|
57
|
26
|
|
Shannon Airport
|
53
|
11
|
|
Waterford Port
|
<10
|
|
Info
*Where the number is low (less than 10), a breakdown is not provided. This is for reasons of confidentiality.
