Fine Gael has called for greater co-ordination between European Union states to reduce the cost of deportations after new figures revealed some €1.2 million has been spent removing 264 deportees from Ireland in the last 18 months.
Spending an average of €4,500 on each deportation is not sustainable, according to Fine Gael Immigration spokesman Denis Naughten, who said the Irish asylum system is broken.
The figures, arising from a parliamentary question, indicate that the removal of a Ghanaian man from Ireland in March of last year cost €151,900, while the removal of a Georgian man in March of this year cost €35,888.
“These costs must be reduced,” Mr Naughten said. “One way of doing this is to have greater coordination at EU level.
“As part of its Policy Plan on Asylum, the EU has proposed to agree a list of ‘safe countries’ as part of streamlining the asylum process which would make it easier for Member States to repatriate illegal immigrants.
“This Plan needs to be put into action and Ireland and the EU must sign up to agreements with countries of origin for the safe return of their citizens.”
Mr Naughten said the Immigration, Residency & Protection Bill, when enacted, will help address this situation, but that asylum has not been a priority for this Government. “Their inaction is aiding the spiralling cost and inefficiencies within out immigration/asylum system,” he said.
