In the pursuit of sending back over 2,750 asylum seekers to their initial EU point of entry, Ireland has accomplished the return of merely 31, as confirmed by the nation’s Department of Justice. Ireland has initiated 2,758 requests to fellow EU countries for the repatriation of asylum applicants. However, the success rate remains significantly low, highlighting the difficulties surrounding immigration and asylum policies.
Not just one-sided, the intricate process also involves Ireland receiving ‘Take Back and Take Charge’ requests from other members of the European Union. Over the last five years, the country has received 626 such requests. Of this number, the country has agreed to assume responsibility for 182 cases, 54 of which have been realized.
The department openly acknowledges the flaws hampering the current system enabling inter-country transfers as it is deemed unfit for its intended purpose. The so-called ‘Dublin Regulations,’ the guiding principles of these processes, have proven inefficient in practice. These regulations stipulate that individuals seeking refuge can only submit one application for international protection and this must be lodged in the EU nation wherein they first set foot.
Despite these guidelines, the reality is starkly contrasting. Numerous asylum seekers persistently move to destinations where they already have support structures like relatives or friends, places that offer better employment or welfare aid, or they file multiple applications across diverse countries. This phenomenon casts a shroud of complexity over the implementation of these regulations.
Providing further context, the department shares detailed statistics. Between January 2020 and April 2024, 2,758 requests for repatriation of asylum seekers were initiated by Ireland. The peak was in 2020, when a total of 977 applications were raised, coinciding with the UK’s continued status as an EU member.
In a reflection of the system’s inefficiency, only 15 ‘outgoing transfers’ were successful that year. This translates into a meager success rate of about 1.5 per cent of the total cases initiated. This number underlines the challenges and hurdles faced by Ireland and other EU countries in already complex immigration matters.
By 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic had taken a toll on immigration throughout Europe. Ireland’s Dublin transfer system was not an exception, with only 198 new applications lodged under this system. Amidst these difficult conditions, merely four individuals were successfully returned to their original country.
During 2022 and 2023, Ireland tried to continue the effort as it lodged 698 and 592 requests respectively. Yet, the results bore a familiar resemblance to the past, with only three individuals leaving Irish soil each year.
Early 2024 saw a similar pattern with the Irish department advocating for the relocation of 293 international protection applicants back to another EU country. Fast-forwarding to the end of the first quarter, only six people had been successfully transferred. The pattern is indicative of the inherent challenges that populate the current system.
The Department holds hope for the future, citing potential improvement following Ireland’s participation in the recently established EU Migration and Asylum Pact. The department believes this will provide a considerable boost to the efficiency of the transfer system, and result in a smoother, better-regulated process.
Further news broke detailing the risks present at an encampment housing asylum-seekers in Dublin’s Grand Canal area. There are increasing fears regarding a potential disease outbreak due to the subpar living conditions. The situation further deepens the urgency for effective solutions to manage and accommodate asylum-seekers in a humane and controlled manner.
Waterways Ireland, responsible for the country’s inland waterways, conducted a health and safety assessment that revealed the high-risk nature of the encampment. In particular, they emphasized that canals can be alarmingly risky due to their inherently deep waters, steep slopes, and thick layers of sediment. This makes them unsuitable for long-term occupation, especially in presumably makeshift structures.