Efforts to crack down on people entering the country without travel documentation have increased sharply in recent months, with around 6.5 per cent of flights arriving in Dublin now subject to “doorstep” passport checks.
According to figures released to The Irish Times, officials from the Border Management Unit, along with members of the Garda National Immigration Unit, carried out passport checks at the gates of over 4,500 arrival flights in the first seven months of 2024. Around 2,000 of these “doorstep operations” occurred in the month of July as officials stepped up efforts to prevent asylum seekers entering the country without the required documentation.
These operations were put in place last year after it emerged 40 per cent of people seeking asylum in Ireland had either lost or destroyed their travel documents before arriving at immigration control.
Officials believe many arrivals are disposing of their passports after disembarking the aircraft but before reaching immigration control in the belief this will help them to seek asylum. The operations are designed to check for the required documents before new arrivals have the chance to dispose of them.
Border Management Unit officials have carried out checks on 6.5 per cent of the 68,600 flights arriving into Dublin this year. Operations are specifically targeted at flights commonly used by potential asylum seekers.
Official figures suggest the crackdown has achieved some success. There has been a 34 per cent drop this year in the number of people arriving into the State without travel documents.
In the first seven months of the year 1,471 people were detected arriving into Dublin Airport without travel documents. Of these 115 were arrested by gardaí. The Department of Justice said a “significant number” of those arrested have been convicted. It is an offence to arrive in the State without valid travel documents but until last year, prosecutions were rare. Between 2019 and 2022, just one person was charged with the offence.
While prosecutions have increased sharply this year the vast majority of undocumented arrivals to Dublin Airport are not arrested. So far this year just under 8 per cent of undocumented arrivals were arrested by gardaí.
Figures show most undocumented arrivals immediately claim asylum at immigration control. Immigrants’ rights groups have pointed out there are various reasons why people may not have proper travel documentation, particularly if they have been trafficked into the country.
“It is the case that the majority of those who present without appropriate documentation and are refused leave to land will seek to enter the international protection process, but some people with valid travel documents will also seek to enter the international protection process,” a Department of Justice spokesman said.
He outlined a number of other measures taken by the department to cut down on undocumented arrivals, including in-person training for airline ground staff “on immigration requirements and false travel documentation”.
“Border Management Unit officials are also available 24/7 to assist airlines with any immigration queries,” he said.
Airlines are also coming under increased pressure to prevent undocumented passengers boarding a flight. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee signed an order last month to increase fines for carriers from €3,000 to €5,000 for not carrying out appropriate document checks while boarding.
Funding has also been increased to place Garda liaison officers at airports across Europe to check for illegal immigration.
