The United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has responded to the huge increase in asylum-seekers coming to Ireland by appointing its first representative here. Mr Steven Wolfson, a 35-yearold Canadian lawyer, took up the post of senior liaison officer last week. He says his first task will be to help the Department of Justice deal with the massive backlog of over 3,000 asylum applications.
The appointment was made at the Government's request. It has given Mr Wolfson temporary offices in the Department of Justice.
Mr Wolfson will also assist the Department with its plans to set up a "one-stop shop" to deal with the immigration and social welfare requirements of asylumseekers.
A £2.5 million refugee-processing centre is currently in development in Dublin.
Human rights groups which have criticised the Department's perceived get-tough policy on immigration have welcomed his appointment. However, Mr Wolfson says he is not here to "police" the Government's treatment of asylum-seekers and refugees.
He says the 1996 Refugee Act, which the present Government has failed to implement fully, is an "excellent" piece of legislation. "It sets out clear humanitarian procedures for dealing with asylum applications in a manner that is consistent with Irish traditions of hospitality and compassion.
"In addition, it will incorporate into Irish law international standards for the reception and treatment of refugee applications."
Up to now, Ireland is "almost completely lacking" in such legislation. "Most developed countries do have refugee legislation so in this respect Ireland is behind western Europe."
Mr Wolfson, who is fresh from a posting in Afghanistan and has also worked in such refugee hotspots as Bosnia and Rwanda, adds that Ireland's treatment of asylum-seekers compares "quite favourably" with other countries.
Nor is this country disposed to racism, in his view: "Of course there are individuals with contrary views but generally people seem comfortable with the notion of a multi-faceted Europe and that of a global community."
He acknowledges the steep increase in refugee applications here, but says that in world terms the numbers are not considerable. The delay in dealing with cases has given rise to a "pull factor" which has attracted bogus applicants.
"There are abusive applications for asylum, but we have found that the majority of people have a well-founded fear of persecution and would be in danger if they returned home."
Under an arrangement formulated in 1985, UNHCR in London processed all applications for asylum in Ireland. The decisions made by UNHCR investigators were usually rubber-stamped by the Minister for Justice.
But this process has proved exceedingly slow, and even more so since the flow of asylum-seekers began to increase.
Applicants have to wait an average of three years to have their cases processed.
During the summer, the then UNHCR representative in London expressed concern when the previous government introduced new immigration controls on people arriving from the UK.
The regulations, introduced without consultation, allowed immigration officers the right to refuse people arriving from Britain or Northern Ireland the right to enter the State if their papers were not in order.
Critics have claimed the controls have been implemented in a racist manner, with the focus being on black people and gypsies.
Mr Wolfson declined to comment on the new regulations. However, it is understood the UNHCR is hopeful they may eventually be revised.
