REVEALED: Over 16k Dublin Airport arrivals in past five years had false/no documents

The number of arrivals at Dublin Airport with no documentation or false documentation since 2019 has been revealed. 

The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, confirmed the figures following a Parliamentary Question by Aontú leader, Deputy Peadar Toibín, on November 28. 

The deputy sought details on the number of passengers with false/no documentation arriving at Ireland's airports in the last five years.

He also sought information on the number of flights immigration officers conducted checks on, as well as the number of people detained and/or denied entry and placed on return flights. 

Minister McEntee provided information to the Deputy in tabular form, which confirms almost 16,000 people arrived at Dublin Airport between 2019 and 2023 (up to the end of November) with false/no documentation. 

The number of undocumented arrivals at Dublin Airport over the past five years was highest last year in 2022 when 4,968 people landed in Dublin, with a further 832 arriving with false documentation. 

Two thousand five hundred and seventy two undocumented arrivals were recorded in 2023 so far, with 690 other people arriving with false documentation. 

Two thousand and eighty two were recorded in 2021, with 712 and 1,579 in 2020 and 2019 respectively. 

Twenty nineteen was the highest year for arrivals with false documentation (1,849), followed by 2022 (832), 2023 (690), 2021 (279), and 2020 (169). 

In her stated response to Deputy Toibín, Minister McEntee said, "The State has a duty to protect its borders and following examination, ensure that all arriving passengers are entitled to enter the State. This is a fundamental exercise of State sovereignty, which is necessary to protect the security of the State and to prevent illegal immigration. The exercise of powers in this area is at all times subject to the law and to respect for individual rights.

"The Border Management Unit of my Department is responsible for frontline Immigration at Dublin Airport only. Other ports of entry are the responsibility of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB). 

"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." 

The minister did not provide details on the number of flights immigration officers conducted checks on "for security reasons and to protect the integrity of the immigration system". 

She said, "Both I and my Department do not comment on operational procedures of the Border Management Unit or the Garda National Immigration Bureau." 

She continued: "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.

"Both the BMU and the GNIB are working with airlines and international colleagues to take measures both at domestic airports and points of embarkation to address this issue. In addition to providing advice to airlines on specific queries, training is provided to airline ground staff on current travel documentation requirements. As can be seen from the figures below, the number of undocumented arrivals has reduced significantly this year. 

"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." 

Over 14 million arrivals have been recorded at Dublin Airport up to the end of November this year, with 4,606 people refused leave to land, while 7,662 arriving passengers out of almost 14 million in 2022 were refused, as well as 3,210 out of over 4 million in 2021, 2,077 out of over 3.5 million in 2020, and 6,151 out of over 16 million arriving passengers. 

Figures provided by the minister on passengers refused leave to land in Kerry, Knock and Shannon were partially obscured, however figures for the past four years at Cork Airport were available. 

Fifty five people were refused at Cork Airport in 2020, with 24 in 2021, 130 in 2022, and 72 up to November's end this year. 

Additionally, Minister McEntee was this week (December 5) asked for information on the number of people in Ireland who have received a deportation order and have not yet left the State. 

Deputy Michael McNamara posed the question to the Justice Minister, who responded by stating, "I can advise the Deputy that deportation and removal processes are an essential part of any immigration system. It must be acknowledged that those who do not have a legal right to remain in this country must remove themselves from the State.

"Where a Deportation Order is made, that person then has no legal basis to remain in the State. However, persons in receipt of a Deportation Order can apply to have the Order revoked under Section 3(11) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) by presenting new evidence and may also legally challenge the Order.

"When a Deportation Order is made and served, the person concerned is legally obliged to remove themselves from the State and to remain outside of the State.

"It is the case that significant numbers of individuals who were subject to Deportation Orders have left the State without notifying the relevant authorities. The Garda National Immigration Bureau has reviewed a sample of the cases from last year of those who were subject to deportation orders. Their inquiries suggest a significant number of these individuals have left the State." 

The minister did not provide the deputy with figures on same.