82 unaccompanied Afghan children referred to Tusla in past four years
Photo/jose At Kabul Evacuated From Arrive Washington Picture: Airport Magana Families Ap On International Dulles Friday Luis
A total of 82 Afghan minors who arrived in Ireland without guardians have been referred to the care of Tusla over the past four years.
Some 26 unaccompanied minors arrived here from their war-torn homeland last year – making up the majority of unaccompanied minors presenting at Ireland’s border.
Under the International Protection Act, 2015, any person under the age of 18 arriving at a port of entry or at the International Protection Office (IPO) who is not in the custody of an adult, should be referred to Tusla, which may then decide that an application for international protection should be made on behalf of the minor.
Some 16 young people arrived unaccompanied into the State from Afghanistan in 2019 while just six were referred to social services in 2018.
In 2017, Tusla was alerted to the arrival of 34 unaccompanied minors from Afghanistan.
There are about 211 Afghan nationals currently living in Irish direct provision centres, according to human rights organisations.
Up to August 22, 128 ‘Join Family’ visas had been granted to Afghans this year. A further 49 Afghan family members have been approved for family reunification through applications made under the International Protection Act.
The Department of Justice said it was currently “prioritising” the processing of a further 103 applications for family reunification for Afghan nationals. A spokesperson said these were being processed with “full consideration given to the current humanitarian context".
“Visa applications for Afghan family members of Irish citizens and Afghan nationals living in Ireland are being assessed speedily and sympathetically," they said, adding they are being "fast-tracked" and should be complete "in the coming days".
Last week, the Government announced that up to 150 Afghan people would be allocated places on the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP).
All places on this programme have now been allocated, the Department of Justice said, with priority given to those “working on human rights issues, including the rights of women and girls, as well as those working with NGOs and European and international organisations".
The UN refugee agency has estimated half a million people or more may flee Afghanistan in the coming months. The UNHCR said on Friday it would add to the 2.2m Afghans who are already registered as refugees abroad.
The Irish Refugee Council, Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland and the Immigrant Council of Ireland are among a number of human rights groups who have called on the Government to commit to resettling a minimum of 1,000 Afghan refugees and to participate in any "wider resettlement and relocation scheme" that the EU proposes.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney defended the decision not to send Irish troops to Afghanistan sooner, "given the evidence we had at any given time, we made the right decision".
A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said there was "significant relief for those Irish citizens and their families who were evacuated, but deep concern for those who remain in the country".
About 60 Irish citizens and 15 Afghan citizens with Irish residency are believed to still be in Afghanistan.