Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 July 2025
185. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the way his Department determines an applicant’s country of origin in cases where no identification is presented at the time of application; and the way his Department ensures that an applicant has not travelled from a country designated as safe while seeking asylum under the UN Refugee Convention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36650/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt 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 (IPO) 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.
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.
One of the most important parts of the personal interview and the report considering an application for international protection is establishing the nationality and credibility of the individual. The question of where an applicant comes from is explored in depth at each personal interview. It is important that this is one of the first areas considered, as credibility and whether the applicant meets the threshold of facing a well-founded fear of persecution or face the risk of suffering serious harm can often be linked to geographical areas. In cases where the IPO finds that an applicant is not credible in having come from the country they have indicated, this will be at the heart of why an individual’s claim may be rejected.
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.
