Overhaul 'cash cow' refugee appeals system now, says FG

THE REFUGEE appeals system has become a “cash cow” for the legal profession and needs to be overhauled immediately, according to Fine Gael immigration and integration spokesman Denis Naughten.

He said the failure by the Government to overhaul the refugee appeals tribunal and the asylum system in this country was funding the legal profession to the tune of € 2.5 million through successful judicial reviews. The payment for judicial reviews was on top of another € 1.2 million paid directly to lawyers who work directly for the tribunal.

He received the information in response to a Dáil question.

“The tribunal and Ireland’s asylum system are looking like more cash cows for the legal profession,” he said yesterday.

He said the number of successful judicial reviews against the tribunal was far too high. In 2008, more half of judicial reviews were successful and a similar pattern was developing this year, even though new asylum applications have fallen dramatically in the last number of years.

“This success rate clearly highlights the fact that the current system is not working, and these costs fail to take into consideration the administrative cost within the court system or items such as interpretation costs, the total court bill for which was € 3.6 million in 2008.

“Justice Minister Dermot Ahern must scrap the tribunal instead of tinkering at the edges of this costly and inefficient body. An appeals system for refugees which is genuinely independent and which can deal with appeals by asylum applicants in a swift and cost-effective manner must be established in its place,” he said.

Mr Naughten said it was imperative an independent asylum appeals system was established immediately to ensure that the State had fair procedures, could save money, reduce the number of court challenges and provide a more efficient and cost-effective asylum system.

“It is totally unacceptable that the Irish taxpayer is still funding a system to the tune of over € 300 million a year for court actions, accommodation, processing and deportation costs, which is neither clear nor transparent.”

Mr Naughten said while the Government continued to blame the legal profession for the massive cost of the refugee appeals system, the appeal process through the tribunal system was promoting and facilitating these legal challenges.

“Our asylum system is a mess and clearly there is no one in charge,” he added.