500 Europeans opt for repatriation

THE number of foreign nationals availing of a European voluntary repatriation scheme in 2010 because they were homeless is likely to match the 2009 figure.

Latest figures from the Department of Justice show that in the 10 months until the end of October, a total of 511 European nationals had been taken back to their own country at a combined cost of €111,493.

The scheme, called the EU12 Repatriation Function, is operated here by the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) and is entirely voluntary.

In 2009, 663 people were repatriated under the fund, at a cost of €151,863.

Of that number, more than half, 394, were repatriated to Romania.

The next highest category was Poles, of whom 93 were carried back home, while other destinations included Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia and Slovakia.

Those availing of the scheme are assessed by the Asylum Seeker and New Communities Unit of the HSE and referrals are also made by the Homeless Persons Unit and from Garda stations.

The Department also revealed that 288 people were deported in 2010, but that the numbers evading deportation now stands at more than 6,000.

The cost of the deportations stands at €861,617, but the Department stressed half of these costs are due to be refunded, as three of the charters were co-financed by the EU through the European Returns Fund.

The state is owed:

* €233,864.60 for a charter flight to Nigeria on April 28 last.

* €275,925.30 for a charter flight to Nigeria on October 28.

* €43,300 for a charter flight to Georgia on November 17.

That leaves the total cost to the State of the deportations in 2010 at €308,527.34, with 171 people deported to Nigeria and 44 to Georgia, while the remaining 73 persons were removed to Moldova, Russia, South Africa, Brazil and China.

There is still a huge number of people evading deportation, although the likelihood is that many have already left the country.

According to the Department: “As at the end of October 2010, 6,094 people are evading deportation. We do not carry out exit checks when people are leaving the state so we are unable to say how many of those may have left the jurisdiction.”

The figures so far

* 511 voluntary repatriations to end October 2010.

* 288 people deported at a cost of €308,000.

* 6,094 people now evading deportation.