State brings in almost 600 people fleeing Taliban's 2021 takeover of Afghanistan
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Nearly 600 people have been granted emergency permission to come to Ireland from Afghanistan following the Taliban's return to power, Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said.
The Government established the emergency Afghan Admissions Programme (AAP) in the wake of the Taliban returning to power in Afghanistan, following the withdrawal of Nato troops from the region in mid-2021.
The scheme, set up to bring over immediate family members of Afghans who are currently living in the State, allowed for up to four people to join them in Ireland. According to the Justice Minister, there have been 587 people approved as part of the admissions programme, while 70 rejections were made for 206 individuals seeking to come to Ireland.
In total, the department received 528 applications for the scheme before it closed, with Ms McEntee saying that all applications “continue to be assessed in a pragmatic and humanitarian manner”.
The programme prioritises the most vulnerable, particularly focusing on the elderly, women, girls and people with disabilities.
“The department continues to process the remaining applications and will notify all applicants as soon as is practicable. It is currently anticipated that the AAP will be largely concluded by the end of 2023,” Ms McEntee said.
The scheme previously faced difficulties in processing applications due to “insufficient information” being provided by applicants, but has been in operation since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021. However, the first approvals for the scheme did not occur until November 2022, over a year after the takeover.
While the scheme initially set a target of 500 people when it was first established in September 2021, Ms McEntee says that she expects this to be exceeded.
“The programme has been developed to allow as many families as possible the opportunity to have some family members join them here in Ireland. It was originally envisaged that up to 500 places would be available under the programme,” Ms McEntee said.
“However, applicants who have met the deadlines and other criteria for the programme will continue to be assessed and have determinations issued on their application. Consequently, the number of places to be provided under the programme is likely to exceed 500.”
While there have been 206 people rejected from the programme, Ms McEntee said that there are appeal mechanisms available free of charge.
Alongside the admissions programme, Ms McEntee confirmed that there were 476 long-stay joint family visas that were issued to Afghan nationals so far this year. These visas are distinct from the admissions scheme, where they are only available to relatives of Irish citizens.