Post-Covid travel boom leads to surge in DFA consular cases

The Department of Foreign Affairs had to deal with a surge in consular cases last year as international travel resumed following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.

The department dealt with 1,504 new cases in 2022, an increase of 21 per cent in newly recorded consular cases, including a 55 per cent increase in the deaths of Irish citizens abroad compared with the previous year.

The Government scrapped almost all of the Covid-19 restrictions in January of last year after coming through a surge of the Omicron variant cases during the winter of 2021-22.

The country was one of the most cautious in the European Union in its response to the pandemic, keeping in place some of the longest-running restrictions on travel and hospitality.

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In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, the department supported more than 100 Irish citizens seeking to leave Ukraine in February and March of last year.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said the department was aware of a number of citizens who continue to enter Ukraine including for the purpose of engaging in surrogacy arrangements.

“The situation across Ukraine remains extremely dangerous and I strongly advise against all travel to Ukraine, for any purpose,” he said.

Among the new cases managed by the country’s overseas diplomats were 340 deaths abroad, 288 medical cases, 141 arrests and 48 cases where Covid-related assistance was provided.

The department also helped 96 victims of crime, assisted in 57 mental health cases and 51 missing-person cases, and handled 26 cases involving prisoners and 20 involving deportations.

There were 15 cases involving child abduction managed by the department in addition to 25 cases involving child welfare and 164 general welfare cases.

The department confirmed that all 15 cases of child abduction related to “parental child abduction” cases where on parent took a child or a number of children out of the country without the other parent’s consent.

The department provides a range of help and support to citizens in distress overseas including situations relating to arrest, imprisonment, missing people, serious injury, mental health crises and death.

More than 54,000 Irish documents were authenticated for business or personal use overseas by the department. More than 2,700 civil letters of freedom – a document stating a person is free to marry, a requirement in some countries, – were issued to Irish citizens marrying abroad last year.

“The 2022 statistics show a consistently high level of demand for our services with my department and mission network providing consular assistance in a number of complex cases last year,” said Mr Martin.

“This includes issues that have become more prevalent such as travel bans, forced marriage and complications arising from medical procedures abroad.”

The department said that demand for travel advice remained “high” last year.

It provides travel advice for almost 200 countries and territories and handled more than 6,000 calls and 8,000 emails on international travel from the public last year.

Mr Martin acknowledged the “invaluable support” of non-Government agencies and charities, including the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas, Crosscare, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and Safe Home Ireland in helping Irish citizens overseas.

“These continue to do great work in supporting citizens and their families who experience difficult and in some cases tragic situations overseas,” he said.