Ireland

More than 100 migrants without papers come before the courts

Garda pilot programme at Dublin Airport between February and May was in response to ‘emerging trend’, says Drew Harris

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris at the graduation ceremony in Garda College, Templemore on Friday. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins

Tim O'Brien
Fri Jun 28 2024 - 22:16

A total of 109 non-Irish nationals who presented at Dublin Airport between February and May without the required travel papers were charged with offences under the Immigration Act.

The charges and subsequent court hearings resulted in 84 convictions, six remands in custody, bench warrants being issued in four cases, and one conviction coupled with a fine. Some 14 cases before the courts were struck out or dismissed.

The statistics were included in the May monthly report of Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to the Policing Authority, published on Friday.

Mr Harris told Policing Authority chief executive Helen Hall the prosecutions followed “an identified emerging trend whereby increasing numbers of non-nationals [sic] are arriving at Dublin Airport on a daily basis with a false travel document or with no travel document”. He said the arrivals charged had disposed of their documents on the aircraft or in the terminal before presenting at immigration.

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The Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) began a pilot operation at Dublin Airport in February, arresting offenders under the Immigration Act and taking them before the courts.

Mr Harris’s report also noted body-worn cameras and training in their use would be deployed to between 350 and 400 frontline gardaí in Dublin by the end of June.

The pilot deployment will continue later this year in Limerick and Waterford. Following this, the cameras will be deployed in all Garda stations.

Mr Harris also reported a “further development for the organisation” in May involved the introduction of new systems enabling gardaí to access the Irish Motor Insurance Database through Garda mobility devices.

[ Immigration top issue noticed by voters when asked about Government performance ]

Also in May the Garda implemented a policing operation in respect of the Europa League final, which saw 48,000 local and international fans attend the Aviva Stadium for the big soccer event. This operation involved the deployment of some 1,800 Garda personnel for the event.

Meanwhile, on Friday a total of 157 new gardaí graduated from training college, of which 35 per cent are women.

A total of 17 new gardaí were born outside the State – in the USA, Pakistan, Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Brazil and Romania.

As of Friday June 28th the force numbered 14,100 sworn gardaí; 3,502 Garda staff and 329 Garda reserves. A further 294 Garda recruits, in two intakes, are currently undergoing the training programme at the Garda College.

Expressing her delight at the “vibrant, diverse group becoming gardaí”, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee added: “As Minister I am committed to building safer communities and a full-strength An Garda Síochána including Garda staff and reserves is at the heart of that.”

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien is an Irish Times journalist

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