Dublin Airport Rejects Entry and Leaves Nearly 1,300 People Bewildered

CIANAN BRENNAN
Sunday July 23, 2023

The perplexing reality of Dublin Airport is brought to light by the astonishing number of individuals who were denied landing permission between January and April this year. A total of 1,781 people experienced the despair of being refused entry into the country. Barry Cronin’s picture captures the consequence of such incidents.

In the first four months of 2023, a staggering 1,300 individuals were prohibited from landing at Dublin Airport due to either possessing fraudulent documents or having no travel papers at all. It is bewildering to imagine the circumstances under which these people embarked on their journey without the necessary documentation.

Shocking figures released by the Department of Justice reveal that 1,010 of those denied entry had the audacity to present themselves at immigration officials’ mercy without any documents whatsoever. One can only ponder at the perplexity of their reasoning.

Curiosity arises as we examine the countries from which these travelers originated. Georgia, Somalia, China, Kuwait, and Syria top the list, representing the diverse backgrounds of those refused landing permission.

The situation becomes even more bewildering when we analyze the cases of the 281 individuals who attempted to deceive immigration officials with counterfeit travel documents. The nationalities most frequently associated with this fraudulent behavior are Zimbabwe, Albania, Iran, Algeria, and China. One must wonder at the audacity of these individuals to attempt such deception.

The combined figure of 1,781 individuals denied landing permission at Dublin Airport between January and April is astounding. However, the perplexity continues beyond the confines of this specific airport. An additional 783 people experienced the equivalent disappointment at other points of entry into the country during the period from January 2022 to April 2023.

It is important to note that being refused landing permission does not necessarily equate to being denied access to the country. Of the 10,226 individuals denied entry across the country in the past 16 months, a total of 1,630 were ultimately returned to their original point of departure, accounting for just under 16%. The mind boggles at the logistics and complexity of managing such cases.

Oonagh McPhillips, the secretary general of the Department of Justice, shed some light on the perplexing aftermath of these incidents. She disclosed that individuals denied permission to land often seek asylum under Ireland’s international protection obligations and engage with immigration officers. Furthermore, those individuals attempting to deceive officials by using false documents have a peculiar habit of destroying said documents to evade charges. The complexity of these situations and the accompanying legal challenges cannot be overstated.

Intriguingly, the majority of judicial reviews filed against the minister are related to immigration matters. In 2022, a total of 448 immigration-related court cases were filed, representing a 13% decrease from the 517 cases filed in 2021, the year in which the Covid pandemic reached its conclusion. The intricacies and intricacies of these legal challenges are mind-boggling.

Interestingly, the issues surrounding citizenship applications prompted the most legal challenges, with 166 cases filed. However, this number reflects a 30% decrease compared to the previous year. Outcomes from these legal challenges favored the department in 63% of the 88 judgments delivered in 2022.

The department takes these legal hurdles seriously and utilizes the insights garnered from each case to inform policy, procedural, and legislative changes. They have even bolstered their in-house legal expertise to provide prompt advice to decision-makers and address cases of concern. The establishment of a dedicated legal helpdesk ensures structured access to legal expertise for the benefit of all decision-makers. Training initiatives are also in place to ensure compliance with constitutional, European, and international obligations.