Surge in suspects extradited to Ireland

There has been a surge in the number of criminal suspects surrendered to Ireland from Britain under an EU-wide warrant system that the UK is leaving at the end of December.

The Department of Justice said even if an alternative system to the European arrest warrant (EAW) is agreed, the new extradition process would be “more cumbersome”.

Publishing its 2018 report on the EAW, the department said the departure of Britain from the EU has “considerable consequences” — and that having a functioning extradition system in placeto combat crime and terrorism is the “key priority”.

The 2018 report shows:

Some 69 warrants were transmitted to Britain in 2018, compared to 60 in 2017 and 57 in 2016, an increase of 21% over the three years;

The 69 warrants accounted for 65% of all warrants issued by Ireland to EU countries;

Some 49 people were surrendered from Britain to Ireland in 2018, compared to 35 in 2017 and 30 in 2016, a jump of 63%;

The 49 cases accounted for 79% of surrenders from EU countries to Ireland.

In addition to warrants going in the direction of Britain, The report also shows how the that the UK continues to be the biggest source of warrants sent to Ireland.

Of the 398 cases received in 2018, 260 came from the UK, 65% of all such requests. This is up from 207 cases from Britain in 2017. The report warns that there has been a notable increase in EAWs from Britain since 2017 after the country began participating in the EU’s Schengen Information System II — an initiative for security and border management in Europe. As a result of this, Britain is sending EAWs to all EU states, including those countries, like Ireland, who are not part of the Schengen system.

“The figure is therefore not reflective of the actual number of persons of interest to the UK that are resident in Ireland but rather those thought by the UK to be resident across the EU in general,” it said.

Figures for the number of people surrendered by Ireland to Britain stood at 71 in 2018, compared to 73 in 2017 and 82 in 2016. The report said “considerable planning and preparation” by department officials has gone into the implications resulting from Britain’s departure from the EU.

In relation to replacing the EAW, it said Britain has said it is interested in negotiating a system based on the EU agreement with Norway and Iceland, which, it said, provides for similar arrangements.

“If this was agreed there would be very little change in the arrangements between the UK and Ireland,” the report said.

It noted there is also a 1957 Council of Europe Convention on Extradition which will allow for extradition with the UK and that the Brexit Omnibus Act 2019 will enable its immediate application.

It said: “While extradition under this process will be more cumbersome than existing arrangements, it will ensure that there is a workable system in place.”