Call for action on asylum ‘mess’

ASYLUM application numbers are down by over a third, but the cost of processing the claims is growing, according to new figures released by Fine Gael.

The number of asylum applications received by the Department of Justice in 2009 fell by 35% when compared with 2008. But funding for the asylum and immigration service during the same period was up by 16%.

Fine Gael Immigration and Integration spokesman Denis Naughten said, “We need a determined approach to deal with the present mess and I’m calling on the minister for justice to prioritise this area in the interests of the taxpayer. By streamlining the existing asylum system, treating people with dignity and in a timely manner, we could save the taxpayer a small fortune.”

Mr Naughten said, “The additional costs associated with asylum accommodation in 2009 ran at €50,000 a day more than originally projected; this is on top of a cost over-run in 2008 of €40,000 a day”.

Fine Gael is recommending three changes to asylum policy to speed up claims processing:

* The Government should request High Court judges to sit longer in the vacation period to clear the backlog of applications.

* Contracts for centres should be reviewed. Asylum accommodation centres are contracted over an average three-year period with a fixed price. Fine Gael has called for annual reviews.

* The asylum process can be Streamlined. There are 14,000 ‘leave to remain’ applicants in the country which Justice Minister Dermot Ahern describes as having ‘unfounded’ claims for asylum. Based on the processing time of just over 2,000 applications a year, it will take seven years to process these claims.

Last year more civil servants were appointed to the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, in order to speed up the process, the slowness of which has been criticised by both the United Nations and European Union.