Garda Immigration Bureau Chief Says There Will Be a ‘Significant’ Increase in Deportations from Ireland

Irish Authorities have confirmed that all undocumented individuals entering the country are fingerprinted and interviewed, countering false claims propagated by certain anti-immigrant groups.

A senior official assured the public that thorough checks and balances are in place for people entering the country who need proper documentation.

“Every individual who arrives undocumented is interviewed at the point of entry, and they are immediately put through the international protection process,” the official explained.

As part of this procedure, fingerprints are collected through the Eurodac system, which ensures that authorities have a record of every person entering the country.

“If individuals do not enter the international protection process, they are promptly removed from the country,” the official stated. “For those who do, we know their identity and background.”

Chief Superintendent Colm Minnock also highlighted that some migrants destroy their travel documents on the advice of criminal networks.

However, he clarified that there are other methods undocumented individuals use to enter the country. He described a recent case uncovered through a joint operation between Irish and Spanish authorities in Barcelona.

While waiting for a flight, Minnock recounted how a Department of Justice employee observed a group preparing to board a plane to Dublin.

The employee noticed that the group handed generic travel documents to a man suspected of being a trafficker or facilitator before they boarded the flight. The man did not board the plane, leaving the departure area under a false pretext.

The Justice employee immediately alerted Dublin authorities, triggering a large-scale “multi-jurisdictional investigation.” Irish and Spanish law enforcement swiftly acted, and within hours, the suspected trafficker was arrested in Spain.

The investigation uncovered a criminal gang involved in the trafficking of Somali migrants, attempting to bring them into Ireland.

Authorities continue to crack down on such criminal networks to prevent further exploitation of vulnerable individuals.