Flashback - McDowell - "There is a Major problem with fraudulent asylum seeking here"

Speaking at an Oireachtas debate on Wednesday 18 May 2005 (Select Committee on Justice and Equality) the then Justice Minister Michael McDowell said the committee .. "have no idea whatsoever of the complete rubbish in the stories that people come up with in order to get into Ireland" .."If Irish people had even the remotest idea of the nonsense that lies behind a huge amount of these bogus claims, it would try their patience to the limit" .. "There is a large amount of political correctness in Ireland, much of which is manifestly bogus. I never see anybody involved in the NGO sector ever admitting that there is a major problem with the fraudulent and far-fetched nonsense masquerading as asylum seeking here. It is about time we said it"

McDowell said he'd prefer to have a system whereby asylum seekers could be interviewed at the airport and their claim decided there but the UN wouldn't allow it.

The following is a direct transcript from that discussion:

I read files every day and Deputies should see the stories with which I have to deal. I cannot reveal the claims that are made by asylum seekers in individual cases, even though people have called for the publication of decisions in such cases. Most of these asylum seekers provide stories as to why they came here, how they thought they were in Canada when they arrived, how anonymous people told them that Ireland was the best place to go, and how Irish priests and other religious pastors got them here. In addition, they tell cock and bull stories about having to come to Ireland to escape ritual sacrifice in the family because they are the third, fourth or seventh son selected for such a sacrifice.

If the Irish people had even the remotest idea of the nonsense that lies behind a huge amount of these bogus claims, it would try their patience to the limit.

I would much prefer to have a system whereby we could interview people at the airport, find out their cock and bull story and say "You're going home on the next flight". Unfortunately, however the UN convention requires me to go through due process in respect of all these claims.

If members of the committee could see what I see, and realised the huge bills that accumulate as a result, they would realise how serious the matter is.

long after they have gone through due process and have been told to leave Ireland, the knee-jerk reaction of many people is to phone a lawyer who seeks a judicial review to get them taken off the flight. That is the kind of thing that is going on. Currently, I have the added difficulty that one particular judgment in the High Court stated that once they apply to the High Court, I must stop the deportation process. That is the case before they have even appeared before a judge — once they have served papers on me, it is my duty to stop them being put on a flight

Members of the committee have no idea whatsoever of the complete rubbish in the stories that people come up with in order to get into Ireland. For example, they may say that their first cousin was involved in acoup d’état 20 years ago, or that since they are the third or fourth son they have been selected by some cult for ritual sacrifice. They may also claim that they have been asked to carry out a ritual sacrifice themselves but cannot do so and therefore must travel from Nigeria to Ireland. What is more, they claim they do not know how they got to Ireland because there are no direct flights, and they cannot explain why they did not seek asylum in another state.

There is a large amount of political correctness in Ireland, much of which is manifestly bogus. I never see anybody involved in the NGO sector ever admitting that there is a major problem with the fraudulent and far-fetched nonsense masquerading as asylum seeking here. It is about time we said it. 

- Former Justice Minister Michael McDowell  , Oireachtas debate 18 May 2005