Minister Shatter outlines priorities for 2013The Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter, TD, today
published key figures on immigration related activity in Ireland in 2012.
The Minster also reported on 2012’s key achievements and outlined his broad
plans for further reform of the immigration system in 2013.
Minister Shatter said that there was very significant progress in 2012 on
delivering the major programme of initiatives and reforms in the
immigration area which he has put in place.
The Minister said, “I am prioritising initiatives to reform the immigration
system to contribute to investment in the State and to assist in economic
development. Although my Department does not have an overt economic remit,
it is playing a full part in restoring our country to economic health.”
“2012 saw very positive developments on that front, most notably, the
launch of the Immigrant Investor and the Start-up Entrepreneur Programmes
and the extension of the Irish Visa Waiver Programme for a further four
years to October 2016.”
“These measures, which are proving very successful, are designed to
stimulate investment and enterprise in Ireland and to encourage increased
tourism and business visitors from key target markets to Ireland.”
The Immigrant Investor Programme and the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme
were approved by Government at the start of 2012 with applications being
accepted since April. The Minister said that he was “very pleased to report
that fourteen applications had been approved so far representing a total
investment in Ireland of over €10.4 million. This investment is projected
to protect over 80 existing jobs and create 190 jobs in new enterprises
over the next 3 years which underlines the job creation potential of the
initiative.”
Minister Shatter also referred to other developments in 2012, such as the
innovative pilot project to civilianise certain port of entry functions at
Dublin Airport and the continuing success of the citizenship ceremonies,
which are bringing fundamental change to the way immigration services are
delivered. Citizenship continues to be a major success story; 25,000 cases
were decided last year which is over three times more than in 2010. In the
3 years between 2008 and 2010 less than 17,000 cases were decided. Minister
Shatter said that the story of citizenship in Ireland in the past two years
is a truly remarkable one which is without parallel in our entire history.
The Minister said, “With fewer resources, it is more important than ever
that public services are provided in the most cost effective and resource
efficient way while also continuing to meet the need for services and
improve service delivery.”
“The civilianisation of immigration officer functions at Dublin airport to
free up Gardaí resources for other operational duties is an excellent
example of the Immigration Service being at the vanguard of public sector
reform.”
As a further example of the commitment to innovation and achieving results,
Minister Shatter pointed to the success of his Department in winning the
Taoiseach’s Public Service Excellence Award in 2012 for the introduction of
citizenship ceremonies and successfully tackling the citizenship
application backlog.
Key Figures for 2012
Overall in 2012, approximately 165,700 new applications (i.e. visa,
residence, protection and citizenship) were received by the Irish
Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS); decisions were issued in
almost 175,000 cases (a proportion of decisions issued relate to
applications submitted in previous years); and over 96,700 new or renewed
registrations of permission to remain in the State were issued by the Garda
National Immigration Bureau.
Registrations
All Non-EEA nationals remaining in the State for longer than 90 days are
required to register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau.
The provisional 2012 year end estimate of non-EEA nationals with permission
to remain in the State is approximately 115,000. This compares with 128,200
at the end of 2011 and 133,200 in 2010. The drop in permissions to remain
in the state in 2012 is primarily as a direct result of INIS’s continuing
efforts to reduce the backlog of citizenship cases. In effect, the success
of the citizenship project has impacted very significantly on the number of
people who are required to have permission to remain in the State. The
majority of persons with permission to remain in the State are here for
work or study purposes.
The current top 6 registered nationalities which account for over 50% of
all persons registered are India (11%), Brazil (10%), Nigeria (9%), China
(8%), USA (8%) and Philippines (7%).
The most recent census shows that overall Ireland’s non-national population
accounts for 12% of the national population or some 544,000 people. The
breakdown of non-nationals in the State according to Census 2011 shows that
the majority are from EU countries.
Visas
Provisional figures indicate that approximately 88,000 entry visa
applications were received in 2012, an increase of 6% on 2011. The approval
rate for entry visa applications was 91%. The top 5 nationalities applying
for visas in 2012 were India (16%), Russia (14%), China (11%), Nigeria (8%)
and Turkey (5%).
Naturalisation/citizenship
The major reforms introduced by the Minister to the processing of
citizenship applications aimed at tackling the backlog of applications have
resulted in a significant increase in the number of cases decided. Over
25,000 applications were decided in 2012 compared to 16,000 in 2011 and
fewer than 8,000 in 2010.
Minister Shatter introduced citizenship ceremonies for the first time in
the State in 2011; 38 such events were held in 2012. These ceremonies,
which underscore the importance of the granting of citizenship and ensure
that it is marked by a sense of occasion for our new citizens, have been
universally welcomed.
Students
The number of non-EEA national students registered to study in the State is
approximately 31,400 or 25% of the total number of non-EEA nationals with
permission to remain in the State.
Broken down by education sector, 38% of students are pursuing Higher
Education (Degree Programme) study, 26 % are engaged in further education
(non Degree) courses, 28% are taking language courses and 9% other (e.g.
secondary school).
International Protection and Asylum
The provisional figures for 2012 indicate that 950 applications for asylum
were submitted. The equivalent figure for 2011 was 1,290. The comparative
figure in 2002, when the volume of asylum applications was at a peak, was
11,600. Provisional figures for end 2012 indicate that there were
approximately 4,750 persons seeking international protection accommodated
in direct provision centres in the State, some 650 fewer than at the end of
2011.
Deportations/Removals
Almost 2,700 persons were deported/removed from the State in 2011.
This number comprises of some 2,260 persons who were refused entry into the
State at ports of entry and were returned to the place from where they had
come.
In addition, 298 failed asylum seekers and illegal migrants were deported
from the State in 2012. The top 5 nationalities deported were from Nigeria,
Pakistan, Georgia, Tanzania (these persons had claimed asylum as Somali but
were shown to be Tanzanian through cooperation with UK) and South Africa. A
total of 111 persons were deported on charter flights and 187 on scheduled
commercial aircraft. In 2012, Ireland participated in 9 chartered
deportation flights, 7 of which were organised in conjunction with EU
agency FRONTEX which coordinates removals throughout the EU and 2 were
joint operations with the UK.
A further 68 asylum seekers were transferred to the EU member state in
which they first applied for asylum under the Dublin Regulation. In
addition, a further 55 EU nationals were returned to their countries of
origin on foot of an EU Removal Order.
Voluntary Returns
Rather than be issued with a deportation order,
a total of 467 persons
chose to return home voluntarily in 2012. Of that number, 383 were assisted
to return by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The top 5
nationalities of returnees were Brazil, Moldova, China, Mauritius and
Georgia. This is a hugely cost effective programme and every effort is made
to increase its usage among migrants who wish to return home.
Immigration data sharing with the UK
The exchange of immigration data between Ireland and the UK prevents
immigration abuses and preserves the integrity of the CTA arrangement for
the majority of genuine individuals who benefit greatly from it.
Since June 2012, the fingerprints of almost 3,000 Irish visa applicants
have been cross-checked against the UK’s immigration fingerprint database.
As a result of this sharing of biometric data, since the exchange commenced
numerous incidences of identity swapping have been revealed, as well as
identifying visa applicants who have adverse immigration histories in the
UK.
In a separate data sharing exercise, in 2012 the fingerprints of 1,750
failed asylum seekers were checked against UK immigration records. Almost
30% were matched to UK records such as a UK visa and in the majority of
these persons were known to the UK in a different identity (e.g. name,
nationality) which demonstrates a high level of identity swapping. The
purpose of the exchange is to establish immigration information known to
the UK which may assist INIS in processing cases to final decision and
facilitating removals where appropriate. Quite clearly this sharing of
information is also a sensible precaution against fraudulent activities.
Key Priorities for 2013
Outlining the main elements of his immigration programme for 2013, Minister
Shatter said, “The initiatives I will be prioritising in 2013 are both
ambitious and progressive. These measures will strike a balance between
facilitating those who wish to come here and contribute positively to our
economy and our communities, as well as providing State protection to
persons who are in genuine need of such protection, while at the same time
dealing firmly and fairly with those who attempt to abuse and take
advantage of the immigration system.”
“Reform of the immigration system will be sustained in 2013 and I will be
focussing on major legislative and procedural measures such as the
Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill and further civilianisation of
Immigration Officer functions at Dublin Airport.”
“International cooperation will be a central theme of 2013. In the context
of the Common Travel Area, I will be prioritising cooperation with the UK
on initiatives such as a Common Travel Area visa, which is of potentially
significant economic and tourism value, and systems for improved collection
and sharing of visa data. Similarly, Ireland’s hosting of Presidency of the
EU is an opportunity for enhanced practical cooperation on immigration
issues at EU level.”
Key Priorities
· Promotion of the immigrant investor and entrepreneur programmes and the
visa waiver programme. Building on the success of 2012, the promotion of
the investor and entrepreneur programmes and the visa waiver programme
will continue to be a top priority with the aim of attracting further
inward investment, boosting tourism and creating jobs.
· Extend civilianisation of Immigration Officer functions at Dublin
Airport. The successful pilot project has proved the feasibility of
assigning civilian staff to immigration control duties at the airport to
work alongside Gardaí. Proposals are now being finalised to extend this
new model of immigration and border control to the entire airport and
possibly to other ports of entry to the State also with the aim of
freeing up Gardaí of other operational duties.
· Legislative reform of the asylum and immigration systems. The Minister
intends to publish the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill which
he hopes will be enacted during 2013. The Bill will radically reform and
modernise the approach taken to the determination of asylum applications
and applications for permission to remain in the state. The Bill will
replace law dating from 1935 (the Aliens Act) and provide a single code
of law on entry into and presence in the State of foreign nationals,
including a single protection procedure.
· Cooperation with the UK to protect and enhance the Common Travel Area
(CTA). Continuing to build on the historic Ireland-UK Common Travel Area
agreement signed in December 2011, the Immigration Service will maintain
close cooperation with the UK immigration authorities with the purpose
of strengthening the CTA arrangement, protecting it from abuse and
jointly taking advantage of the opportunities to generate tourism and
business activity.
Priorities for 2013 will include systems and procedures to enhance the
collection and sharing of visa data to identify persons with no right to
enter the CTA before they arrive at the border, and a short stay Common
Travel Area visa allowing tourists and business visitors to travel
freely between Ireland and the UK.
· The Gathering Ireland 2013 visa. To contribute to the success of The
Gathering initiatives will be put in place to encourage and assist
visitors from countries who require a visa to travel to Ireland.
Approved events taking place under the auspices of The Gathering will be
allocated a code which attendees, with verified invitations from the
event organisers, will be able to quote in their visa application. These
visa applications will be free of charge and will be processed on a
priority basis. It is worth noting that many people around the world who
will be travelling to events under the auspices of The Gathering will
not require a visa to travel to Ireland.
· Case processing measures to reduce the time spent by applicants in
Direct Provision accommodation. A panel of persons with legal expertise
will shortly be established to assist the Irish Naturalisation and
Immigration Service in processing a cohort of subsidiary protection and
leave to remain cases with the objective of speeding up the overall
process and reducing the time spent by persons in the Direct Provision
system. The Minister expects to see significant dividends from this
initiative in 2013.
· Removal of illegal immigrants. The removal from the State of persons
with no legal right to be here is a necessary feature of the enforcement
of immigration legislation with the purpose of upholding the integrity
of the immigration system. Ireland is no different to other countries
who also remove individuals who have no lawful right to remain within
their territory.
In 2013, the immigration authorities will be focusing on the effective
enforcement of deportation orders; in particular to countries it has
been difficult to deport persons to in the past. To that end,
opportunities for cost effective removal operations in cooperation with
the UK, EU and other international partners will continue to be
explored.
· Ireland’s Presidency of the EU. Delivering the migration, asylum and
visa aspects of the Programme of Work associated with Ireland's
Presidency of the EU will be a key objective during the first half of
2013. The Presidency is an opportunity to work with the Member States on
measures that promote closer practical cooperation across the EU and
Ireland will be looking to make good progress across a range of
dossiers.