More than 200 people held in Irish prisons for not having valid visa or passport in 2020

New research from the European Migration Network and the ESRI found that in 2019, 477 people were held in Irish prisons for immigration-related reasons, while in 2020, that number dropped to 245.

Failure to hold a valid passport and/or visa are the main reasons for immigration-related detention in this country.

Ireland is the only EU state that does not have dedicated immigration detention facilities, and therefore people are held in prisons and Garda stations.