Rise in deportation orders

Sir, – You report a sharp rise in deportation orders signed thus far in 2024 compared to 2023 (“Deportation orders rise sharply to more than 1,000 in past six months”, News, August 13th), as well as a corresponding increase in the enforcement of same (albeit mainly via the voluntary return route). However, you seem unaware of a potential logjam in the international protection process in that currently there are close to 6,000 appeals to be heard by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT).

In the first six months of 2024, IPAT completed 734 cases at an average of 123 per month, which means that at current rates, cases will be up to four years with IPAT, before the 70 per cent that fail their appeal go onto the repatriation side of Immigration Service Delivery to decide on the making of a deportation order or the granting of leave to remain. Given that the number of cases awaiting interview at the International Protection Office is probably over 15,000, it would appear that the overwhelmed asylum process is going backwards as regards decision-making despite the large numbers of staff being thrown at it.

A final thought is that the above figures bode ill for the proposed EU migration pact (which will be reliant on member states actually taking people back) as well as Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman’s accommodation plans (which will be full to capacity within nine months at current application rates). – Yours, etc,

MICHAEL FLYNN,