Finance Minister Michael McGrath has said the wilful destruction or passports by international protection applicants must be tackled.
Figures released to Newstalk showed that 1,465 asylum seekers stated that they had lost or destroyed their passports upon arrival at Dublin Airport. More than 5,000 asylum seekers entered Ireland last year with false documents or none at all.
Earlier this year gardai said they were checking documents of asylum seeker before they got off the plane to ensure they had adequate paperwork. Normal checks with the Border Management Unit at the immigration desk at Dublin Airport also take place.
Read more: Dublin Airport's car parking warning to passengers ahead of busy weekend
Speaking in Dublin yesterday, Mr McGrath said that Justice Minister Simon Harris is working with relevant authorities on the issue. He said: “I know that Minister Harris has been working with the immigration authorities within An Garda Siochana to see what can be done to ensure that the procedures are tight.
“While we recognise our international obligations when people come here and seek international protection, we do of course have to address any evidence of the wilful destruction of passports or other documentation that people may have had when they boarded the plane but then don’t seem to have when they disembark from the plane.
“That’s an issue which I know the Minister and the authorities have been actively examining. I will leave the operational details to the authorities.”
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